


Soft spoken man.

by Bynbyn101



Category: Supernatural RPF
Genre: Bottom Jensen, Falling In Love, Horses, M/M, Older Jared, Slow Build, Top Jared, Trainer!Jared, Young Jensen Ackles, dressage, like painfully slow build, no real smut, orphan Jensen, show jumpers, sorry - Freeform, trainer!Jensen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-01-31
Updated: 2014-12-02
Packaged: 2018-01-10 18:01:52
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 46,634
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1162816
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bynbyn101/pseuds/Bynbyn101
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jensen is a soft spoken man. He's got enough knowledge about horses to fill up a book but not enough words to express it to others. At the age of twenty one he's an orphan and trying to run a hunter/jumper barn on his own. When a young dressage rider starts boarding at his barn she brings along with her the one thing Jensen didn't want to admit he was missing: the love of his life.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> All mistakes are my own. I don't know these two men and I am simply just borrowing their faces and names so that you can have a visual of what they characters would look like. 
> 
> So welcome to my newest fic. I know its different from what I usually write (no mpreg!) but this story has been rattling around in my head for a while. I am really into horses and know a lot about them and hunter/jumper but I know very little about Dressage. If you do I'd love to be able to pick you brain a bit so that I don't get anything wrong. 
> 
> I'm just trying this out and if it doesn't work out then its going to go into my pile of "stories I've been working on that have gone no where." 
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoy this!

 

               Jensen was a man of very little words. He found that when he tried to express himself through speech it became a jumbled mess of words and phrases. His accent was sometime hard to understand as he mumbles his way through an explanation so people always seemed to hear him wrong. After a while he would just shrug and move on.

  
               It had been like that since he was young. His daddy was a soft spoken man as well and he supposed that's where it came from. His mama used to hit his daddy in the back of the head and scold him for mumbling the way he did. But it never stopped his father from continuing on like that.

  
               Growing up hadn't been ease on the Ackles family. The farm that they owned in Kentucky always did well but just like any small business it had its hard times. When Jensen was five his daddy's prized mare, Loretta, aborted a foul a few weeks after conception. The vet was called and they found out that the stallion and the mares blood didn't mix; Loretta and the stallion could not breed anymore without the mare aborting. Jensen can still remember his daddy swearing up a storm while thinking about having to buy a whole new stallion.

  
               At the age of fifteen Jensen's momma died from complication while battling a case of pneumonia. Jensen's daddy had been so crushed that he didn't leave his room for two weeks. The farm suffered from the absence, three boarders packed up and left because they couldn't deal with Jensen's timid nature and mumbled words. When Jensen's daddy finally emerged from his room, a half shell of the man he had been, he patted Jensen on the head and went back to work like nothing was wrong.

  
               At the age of seventeen a fire broke out in the barn killing six of the horses. Jensen's daddy insisted that they get all the boarded horses out before any of their own so the Ackles family lost all of their horses. With no barn the boarders packed up and left them without even a word of condolence. It was two years, on Jensen's birthday, that the new barn was finished construction. As Jensen and his daddy stood back and stared at the completed barn that they built with their bare hands they felt like they were moving towards their future; toward their new start.

  
               A year later Jensen found himself standing next to the casket of his daddy. A major heart attack had taken the strongest man Jensen had ever known. With no family and very little friends Jensen was left on his own to continue the barn that his daddy and momma spent years trying to build up. He had four trusty boarders who refused to leave his side and a healthy mare that he was looking forward to breeding when spring came. Jensen just hoped that was enough to get him through.

  
 

  
               "You're a little young to be running a barn all on your own," the old man, Mr. Toms, remarked as he regarded Jensen. "How old did you say you were?"

  
               Jensen looked over at the stallion he was trying to purchase then back at the man. "Twenty one," he mumbled.

  
               "Jesus Christ," the man gasped. "Twenty one and already on your own. Where are your parents?"

  
               Jensen scuffed his shoe against the dirt, watching as it puffed up and floated away on the slight breeze. "Mommas been gone for six years and my daddy died a year ago."

  
               Mr. Toms patted Jensen on the shoulder. "Sorry to hear that," he whispered. The older man turned to the Stallion, Ringo, and then back at Jensen. "I can give him to you for five thousand."

  
               Jensen frowned and looked at the giant Dapple grey horse. He'd been hoping that this stallion and his mare, Sasha, could produce a fine looking grey pony that he could sell for a couple thousand dollars. What with the rings always filled with bays he was hoping that someone would take a chance on the unique horse to get a step up.

  
               "Your ad said he was nine," Jensen mumbled scratching the back of his head. "Did something happen to drop the price?"

               "Nah," Mr. Toms said with a wave of his hand. "Nothing happened. Just thought I would drop the price for you seeing as this is your fist big purchase on your own."

               "I...Thank you," Jensen said digging the check out of his back pocket. "That means a lot to me."

               Mr. Toms regarded the blank check for a moment before sticking his hand out for Jensen. "Nothing is a done deal without a handshake."

               "Of course," he said taking the older man's hand in a firm grasp and shaking it. "It was a pleasure doing business with you."

               "Pleasure was all mine."

               After the check was signed and the bill of sale was passed over Jensen loaded the stallion into the back of the trailer. He thanked Mr. Toms one more time before climbing into the cab of his pick up and heading back towards home.

               His phone rang when he was an hour into his trip and he answered it with a tight 'hello'.

               "I've got some news," Chris, one of his stable hands, said instead of a greeting.

               "And what would that be?"

               "I heard some rumors floating around from my sources that say a hot shot dressage rider is moving into the area and is looking for a place to board."

               Jensen frowned. "I don't know anything about dressage. I run a Hunter Jumper farm."

               "The girl comes with her own personal trainer. They need stalls for three horses; stalls which you have open."

               "I've got two stalls open," Jensen told him.

               "You got Ringo?"

               "I got Ringo. The guy even dropped the price down a bit."

               "That's awesome man. Maybe now you can start building that second barn you've been talking about."

               "Don't think I can afford it right now," Jensen mumbled.

               "If you bring in the new boarder you could. Come on man, what would your daddy do?"         

               That is a question Jensen asked himself several times a day. 'What would daddy do?' Jensen sighed and pulled off of the highway into the parking lot of a rest area. He was only about an hour away from home but he was suddenly extremely tired.

               "I need to think it all over," he told Chris. "I'll talk to you when I get back."

               "Okay man. See you soon."

               Jensen disconnected the call and dropped his head to the steering wheel. He was financially stable so putting up a second barn with a few stalls could probably be put into his budget with only putting a small dent in his funds. Not to mention it would mean that he could start bringing in some money with new boarders. But then that would mean more work for him and Chris and Steve. With already seventeen horses under their care it is sometimes I struggle and Jensen had been considering hiring a fourth person to come in and help when he was too busy at shows and lessons.

               Ringo kicking the back of the trailer rocked the truck and Jensen looked up.

               "What do I do?" He whispered to himself, to his parents who he hoped were still able to hear him wherever they were, to a God he wasn't sure her believed in.

               Ringo kicked again and Jensen sighed. He really needed to get home so that he could unload the horse but right now all he wanted to do was drive around and think.

               "So much weight on your shoulders and you're only twenty one," Mrs. Habert, a boarder, had said to him as he was trying to do his taxes in his office. The woman had crept up quietly and placed herself in the doorway of the office. Jensen doesn't know how long she had been standing there watching him before she made herself known he just hoped she hadn't heard him talking to himself.

               Jensen had just shrugged and looked back down at his stack of papers. "Daddy was only twenty three when he started," he told her.

               "But he had your momma to help him. Who do you have sweetie?"

               No one. Jensen had no one. He didn't have any time to go out and meet people. He'd been home school after his momma died because it was easier on them for him to be around. Even if he did go out and meet people he didn't know what he would say to them. All he knew was horses.

               Ringo kicked the trainer again as though to say 'come on man we've got to get going'. Jensen ran a hand down his face again and started the truck again. Rolling down the window he let the fresh, crisp winter air wipe around him and clear his mind.

 

               "Careful man," Chris said as he backed Ringo out of the trailer.

               Jensen sent his friend a look before continuing what he was doing. The stallion moved in uncoordinated movements as he tried to move backwards through the small slot. Once his back hoofs hit the dirt he surged back and nearly pulled the lead rope out of Jensen's hands in his hurry to get out. If Jensen hadn't been wearing gloves his hand would have been ripped to pieces.

               "Damn," Jensen mumbled.

               Chris stepped forward and took Ringo from Jensen. "He's a high strung one isn't he?"

               "He's a stallion," Jensen said.

               "You think about what we talked about earlier?" Chris asked as he lead Ringo to his stall with Jensen tailing behind him.

               "I guess it couldn't hurt to bring her in," he mumbled leaning against the open stall door.

               "She's got three horses..."

               "I can move Jamison to the front pasture with the run in. Once the second barn is done I can move all the lesson ponies over there."

               "You're gonna build the second barn?"

               Jensen nodded. "Expanding the barn will bring in more money."

               "You want me to call me contacts and make it known that we've got openings?"

               "Yeah." Jensen moved away so that Chris could close Ringo's stall door and put his halter on the hook. "When's Steve getting here?"

               "I'm already here," Steve yelled, dropping his head down from the loft's hay drop door. "Just about getting ready to start giving them hay."

               "You two think you could handle it on your own?" Jensen asked scratching the back of his neck. He hated leaving the work to Chris and Steve but he needed a break.

               "No problem man," Chris said giving him a pat on the back. "But only if you're making dinner tonight."

               "Pizza alright? Not really up for cooking anything else."

               "Pizza's good," Steve reassured.

               "Okay."

               Jensen patted Chris on the shoulder and gave Steve a wave as he made his way out of the barn. Just as he was stepping out a very expensive car came rolling up the drive and parked next to his truck and trailer. Squinting against the setting sun Jensen could seen a rather wealthy woman sitting behind the wheel. She stepped out of the car and swept her long hair over her shoulder before looking around and zeroing in on Jensen.

               "You Jensen Ackles?" She called over to him.

               Jensen nodded and moved towards the woman. "I am," he said in the loudest voice he could muster, which wasn't really all that loud.

               "I'm Frances Dodger," she said offering her hand for him to shake. When he took it she gripped him with a steady, firm grasp that actually surprised him.

               "What can I help you with?"

               The woman, Frances, moved her hair off her shoulder again. "My family just recently moved to the area and I am looking for a place to board my daughters three horses."

               Chris must have heard the car approach because the man was suddenly standing next to Jensen and shaking the woman's hand.

               "I was just about to call you," he told her.

               Jensen looked over at his friend with a frown. "You've met?"

               Frances laughed. "Chris here used to work for my dad when he was what? Fourteen? Fifteen?"

               "Fifteen," Chris confirmed.

               "Is that why you were so gung-ho on me making room for her horses?"

               Chris shrugged and looked at his feet. "Just thought it would be a good opportunity," he mumbled.

               "Look," Frances said, drawing their attention back to her. "If you don't have the room..."

               "We have the room," Jensen told her. "But we're not a dressage barn. I don't have any of the equipment or knowledge..."

               "It's fine. My daughter already has a trainer who moved with us. All we need is a place to board and ride."

               "Okay," Jensen said nodding his head. "Board is six fifty and is collected every first of the month."

               "And what does that include?"

               "Turn out and in. Blanketing, feeding, and light grooming on days when its extra muddy."

               Frances nodded. "Mind if I poke around a little bit?"

               "Nope," Jensen told her, rocking back on his heels with his hands in his pockets.

               "Thank you," Frances said breezing past Jensen and Chris and heading into the barn.

               "Maybe we can put Jamison in the indoor during the night so that he doesn't have to deal with the elements?" Chris suggested watching Frances walk away.              

               Jensen turned and hit Chris. "Why didn't you tell me you knew her personally?"

               Chris rubbed his shoulder. "First off; ow. Second; I didn't think it mattered."

               "Of course it matters," Jensen snapped. "Now if shit goes wrong she'll be going over my head trying to get you to do it instead."

               "She's not like that. She comes from money but she's a really nice person. I promise."

               Jensen sighed. "I'm trusting you," he said.

               "Don't worry man everything is going to be okay."

               Frances came back out with a smile on her face. "You have a very nice barn," she told him. "How old is it?"

               "Two years old."

               "And the indoor?"

               "Its a year old. I built it shortly after my father died."

               "You're running this place on your own?"

               "Chris and Steve help but this place was passed down to me from my parents."

               Frances nodded. "You've got a fine place here," she told him. "You said board was six fifty?"

               "Yes ma'am."

               "Well I believe my Rebecca will love this place. But I'd really like for her trainer to come out and look at the place. Is that alright?"

               "Of course." Jensen dug into his pocket and pulled out one of his business cards. "Just have them call me so we can schedule a time."

               "Sounds good."

               After saying a quick goodbye to Frances and telling Chris that dinner should be ready in an hour Jensen headed into the house. An hour later Chris and Steve came into the house, taking their boots off at the door and hanging their coats up on the hook. Eventually they wandered into the kitchen and sat down at the table.

               "Smells good," Chris commented.

               "It's pizza man," Jensen said putting down on the table. "Don't make it seem like I cooked a four course meal."

               "He's just sucking up cause you let his friend board here," Steve mumbled as he grabbed a slice of pizza.

               Jensen shrugged. "You know anything about this trainer?"

               "Frances didn't tell me much. Just that he's young and has lots of experience in Dressage."

               "Hmm," Jensen hummed around his slice of pizza. "Should be interesting."

               When dinner was finished Steve and Chris cleaned up and the three of them moved to the living room with beers in hand.

               "You got time to ride Jasper tomorrow?" Chris asked Jensen.

               "Probably," Jensen grunted taking a swig of beer. "Why did Jane say she can't?"

               "She's gonna be out of town for a few days. She wanted to make sure Jasper doesn't get rusty."

               "Anyone else?"

               "Nope."

               Jensen leaned forward and placed his head in his hands. "I've got a lesson tomorrow at nine in the morning and three in the afternoon. In between then I want to introduce Ringo to Sasha."

               "All hands on deck?" Steve asked.

               "Pretty much. Don't want them getting it on just yet but I do want to check their reaction to each other."

               Chris finished off his beer and stood up. "I'm headed to bed," he told them as he stepped over Steve's feet.

               "Night," Steve and Jensen chorused giving him a wave.

               Steve and Jensen sat in silence for a little bit before Steve cleared his throat.

               "You okay man?" He asked quietly.

               Jensen shrugged and took another sip of his beer.

               "If you want I can take over your nine o'clock lesson."    

               "Nah it's fine," Jensen reassured him. "Just in a bit of a funk."

               Steve nodded. "Given any thought to what we talked about the other day?"

               Jensen laughed thinking about Steve suggesting he look into using a dating website. Steve had approached him while they were moving hay, his hat twisted in his hands and his eyes wide in fear.

               "I don't know man," Jensen said placing him beer down. "I don't know the first thing about dating websites. Besides what do I say? Twenty one year old with a GED looking for someone to help work a farm with? Doesn't sound very appealing to me."

               "I hear they've got dating websites just for farmers. Maybe that could help."

               "Nah man, I think I'll just wait it out. I'm still young. I've got plenty of time to find someone."

               Steve reached over and patted Jensen on the knee. "Just hate seeing you so sad."

               "Finding someone to settle down with isn't going to change nothing."

               "You never know," Steve mumbled.

               A few hours later Steve wished Jensen a goodnight and headed up the stairs. Jensen was left staring up at the family portrait that still hung up over the fireplace. His parents looked so happy in it, each holding one of Jensen's hands as they ran through a field. It was a candid shot that his momma had fallen in love with and insisted that they place over the fire place for everyone to see.

               Jensen leaned forward and placed his head in his hands. He wasn't a praying man but tonight he felt like he needed to. So he prayed that his momma and daddy were safe up in heaven and that his mare and stallion would take to one another. He prayed that his barn would stay financially stable and that he would never have to worry about everything he's got. And as a quick after thought he asked that God brought him someone to love.


	2. Chapter 2

 

               Jensen's phone rang at six thirty the next morning. Since he had a strict rule about cancelations he assumed it was his nine o'clock giving him the three hour heads up that she wouldn't be making it. When a number he didn't recognize flashed across the screen Jensen frowned and pressed answer.

               "Hello?"

               "Is this Jensen Ackles?" The very deep voice on the other end asked.

               "Yeah," Jensen answered putting the hard brush he'd been using on Jasper down. "Who's this?"

               "Name's Jared Padalecki. I'm Rebecca Dodge's trainer. I was hoping I could come out and look at your place today."

               "Uh, yeah sure. What time were you thinking?"

               "Is two okay? I've gotta head back down to Florida to help get Rebecca's horses ready to move up and I wanted to make sure that everything was good there."

               "I've got a lesson at three but I think we'll have plenty of time before hand so sure, yeah, twos good."

               "Great," Jared said. "I'll see you at two."

               "Yeah," Jensen grunted before disconnecting the call.

               Jasper turned to look at him giving him a look that said 'you gonna give me attention now?'.

               "Oh don't give me that look," he mumbled picked the brush back up. "I'm gonna give you plenty of attention today. In fact I am going to give you so much attention that you'll be grateful for when Jane gets back."

               "Talking to the horses again?" Chris asked as he walked past Jensen with a bale of hay.

               "You do it too," Jensen shouted at him.

               Chris laughed and threw the hay onto the stairs. "Who were you on the phone with."

               "Rebecca Dodge's trainer. He's gonna be here at two."

               Chris nodded and picked the bale back up. "We gonna be done with Sasha and Ringo by then?"

               "We should be. Like I said last night I just want the two to get a feel for each other. If it doesn't get violent then we should be done by then."

               "You riding Jasper now?"

               "Nah, just giving the old boy some love. I'm gonna ride him after my nine o'clock."

               Chris nodded and sat down on the step. "Cool, cool. So I was thinking..."

               "That never leads to anything good," Jensen mumbled.

               "Not funny. Anyways I was thinking that maybe we should contract out building the second barn. That way we don't lose anytime trying to build the sucker ourselves."

               "It's gonna be a lot of money to hire a crew," Jensen said with a frown.

               "I know some guys that are looking for work," Chris told him.

               "Actual construction, builder types or just some or your friends that know how to put a shed together?"

               "Real construction guys. If you want I can give them a call and they can come out to give you an estimate."

               "I don't know," Jensen mumbled working the brush over Jasper's neck. "I kind of like the satisfaction of building the barn with my own two hands."

               "Yeah but which was easier on you: building the barn yourself or getting someone to build the indoor for you."

               "I got ripped off with the indoor, man. The guy told me ten grand and by the time it was done it was almost twenty. Not to mention the creep kept trying to hit on some of the boarders."

               Chris got to his feet and moved closer to Jensen. "That's cause you hired the guy quickly with no references. I know this guy. He's a good guy."

               "Does Steve know him?"

               "Think he's met him once or twice."

               "And does Steve like him?"

               Chris groaned and threw his head back. "Steve doesn't like anyone for Christ sakes. Of course he didn't like him."

               "Where is Steve anyways?" Jensen asked dropping the hard brush into the brush box and picking up the hoof pick.

               "Finishing the turn out. Needed to move some horses around because Ringo was setting the mares off."

               Jensen lifted Jaspers right front leg and started cleaning out the hoof. "Where's the new boy being put?"

               "In Jamison's temporary home. Girls are out back and the Geldings are in the side pasture."

               "Good, good," Jensen mumbled as he moved to the back right. "Shit."

               "What?" Chris asked moving forward to check what was wrong.

               Jensen dropped Jasper's leg and put the hoof pick back down. "Jasper threw a shoe."

               "Didn't he just get re-shoed like two days ago?"

               "Yeah," Jensen mumbled running his hands through his hair.

               "Need me to call Jane?"

               "Nah I've got it handled. Can you put Jasper in his stall for now? I'm gonna see if I can get the farrier out here today."

               "No problem boss," Chris said as he unhooked Jasper from the cross ties and lead him to his stall.

               Jensen picked up the brush box and carried it to the tack room. After placing it in Jane's locked he moved back to the aisle way so that he could grab his phone and call Jane. Luckily wherever Jane was she could still answer her phone.

               "Is something wrong with Jasper?" Jane asked as soon as she answered the phone.

               "No ma'am Jasper is fine. But he threw his back right shoes and I was wondering if you wanted me to call out a farrier to get it fixed up before you get home."

               "Oh," Jane squeaked. "What is it with that boy and never keeping his shoes on? I swear I spend more money to have that farrier come out and put shoes on him then I do on all my other bills."

               "So..."

               "Oh I'm sorry Jensen. Yes  you can call out the farrier. Tell him I'll have his check for him the moment I get back."

               "Will do," Jensen said. "I'll talk to you when you get back."

               "Goodbye Jensen."

               Once Jensen hung up the phone with Jane he texted the farrier and asked if he had open slots for the day. His phone rang moments later; the farrier's name flashing on the screen.

               "Hey Jensen," Misha greeted. "Who needs a new shoe?"

               "Jasper."

               "How many?"

               "Just one. Back right."

               "All right. Is one okay for you?"

               "One would be great. And thanks a lot Misha."

               "No problem man. See you at one."

               "Everything good?" Chris asked.

               "Yeah. Misha will be here at one."

               Chris nodded. "Should I turn Jasper out?"

               "Just put him in the indoor for now. I'll move him right before my lesson."

               "Right, okay."

               Chris moved back down the aisle way and Jensen moved to his office. Sitting down heavily in his chair he ran his hand through his hair. Leaning his head back against the chair he sighed deeply and tried to plan out his day. Just when he was about to get up to start on some .

stalls his office phone rang.

               "Hello?" He grunted into the phone.

               "Um Mr. Ackles?" The timid little voice, Alice, whispered into the phone.

               "Hey Alice. What can I do for you?"

               "I was just wondering if it possible for you to fit me in today for a lesson instead of tomorrow."

               "What time were you thinking?"

               "Eleven?"

               "Yeah sweetie I can fit you in."

               "Really? Okay thank you. I'll see you soon."

               The phone went dead and Jensen dropped his head to the desk top. Moving his head to the side he checked the clock and saw that it was only seven. Today was going to be a long ass day.

 

               "Sitting trot," Jensen yelled out from his spot in the middle of the ring.

               The young girl, Shannon, gave him a look before she sat her butt in the seat and kept it there. Shannon hated sitting trot. According to her it was the worst thing that a trainer could make their student do.

               "Can I post again?" She whined after only three strides.

               "No."

               "But I hate..."

               "I know," Jensen said. "But it helps. I promise."

               Shannon scowled but continued on her way. After two times around the ring Jensen told her to pick up the post again; which she did with a giant smile on her face.

               "Okay bring him down to the walk," Jensen instructed.

               "Do I get to canter today?" Shannon asked as she slowed her pony down to a walk.

               "Maybe next time."

               "You say that every time," she whined.

               "And I'm gonna keep saying it until I feel like you're ready. Now reverse him and pick the trot up to the right."

               Jensen crossed his arms over his chest and watched the girl turn the horse. Shannon was still a little rusty when it came to rein length and Jensen rolled his eyes as he watched the girl try to turn the pony with too long of reins.

               "Shorten your reins then ask him to turn," he yelled.

               Shannon huffed and exaggerated fixing her reins. Finally the girl was able to turn him around and ask for the trot.

               "So much attitude," Jensen mumbled under his breath.

               "Mr. Ackles?" Shannon's mom called from where she was sitting in the indoor.

               "Yes?"

               "When will my daughter by progressing past walk trot?"

               "Soon," he told her.

               "It's been two weeks..."

               "And in that time your daughter has had two lessons. At this time I don't feel comfortable moving her past the trot."

               "Mom," Shannon whined pulling on the ponies mouth to get him to walk. "Stop!"

               "Shorten your reins and pick the trot back up," Jensen told her.

               Shannon pulled the pony to a halt and jumped off. "I don't want to."

               "What?" Both Jensen and Shannon's mother said.

               "I don't want to."

               "You've got to be kidding me," Jensen mumbled, running his hand down his face.

               "Sweetie I pay Mr. Ackles seventy dollars for you to take you lessons. So please do as he says."

               "No," Shannon said. "He's mean."

               "Shannon..."

               "No!" Shannon shrieked.

               Diamond, the sweet old lesson pony Shannon had had been riding, lifted his head up in the air and pranced to the side at the shriek. His eyes were wide and he snorted down at the girl.

               Shannon screamed and dropped the reins. Diamond took off and ran in the direction of the barn, his reins dragging behind him.

               "Shit," Jensen mumbled running after the horse as he high tailed it out of the indoor.

               "How could you put my child on such a dangerous horse?" Shannon's mouth screamed after him.

               Jensen ignored the woman and ran out of the indoor and into the barn just in time to see Diamond running out and into the parking lot. Swearing again under his breath he continued his chase until he caught up to the pony as he was nipping at the other geldings in the pasture.

               "Great," he mumbled snatching up the reins finding that they were broken. "You okay boy?"

               Jensen ran his hands over the horse to make sure he hadn't hurt himself trying to get away. Finding that he was not hurt he rolled up the stirrups and lead him back into the barn.

               "They left," Steve informed him as he was taking Diamonds bridle off. "What happened?"

               Jensen attached Diamond to the cross ties and started untacking. "Just another spoiled little girl."

               Steve grunted and took the saddle from Jensen. "Well now you've got some free time."

               Jensen laughed. "No now I have time to work on cleaning more stalls before my eleven o'clock shows up."

               "Chris and I can handle the stalls. You should go get something to eat."

               "I'll eat after my lesson. Right now I want to just shut my brain off and clean some horse shit."

               Steve grunted and took the tack into the tack room. When he reemerged he took the brush from Jensen's hand.

               "Go start on some stalls. I'll finish up with Diamond."

               "Thanks man," Jensen grunted.

               The truth is Jensen hates doing lessons. Spending an hour trying to communicate with another human being is the hardest thing for him. But mucking stalls? That is something Jensen enjoys. Moving to his office he grabbed his iPod and put him headphones in. Scrolling through he picked one of his favorite Country songs he grabbed a pitch fork and wheel barrel and got to work on the first stall.

               An hour and a half later Jensen was done with half of the right side of the barn. Sighing he paused his music and stuck his head out in time to see Alice leading in her horse Buck.

               "Hey Alice," he called out.

               "Hey Mr. Ackles," she greeted.

               "You wanna ride in the indoor today or did you want to ride outside?"

               Alice picked up a curry comb and started brushing Buck. "Are all the jumps set up in the indoor?"

               "For the most part yeah. But they're fully up in the outdoor ring. But just remember it's really cold outside and I'll freeze to death out there."

               Alice laughed and moved to the other side of Buck. "Then I guess I'll ride inside."

               "You're awesome," Jensen told her. "Just tell me when you're ready and we'll get started."        

               Half hour later Jensen was back in the indoor asking Alice to pick up the canter. Alice and Buck were Jensen's favorite duo. Sometimes watching Alice ride Buck made him incredibly jealous. The way she effortlessly got the horse to do what she wanted made him feel like a novice.

               "Sit back," he instructed. "Were leaning too far forward in your seat."

               Unlike Shannon, Alice did as she was told. She moved back and straightened out her posture, sitting up tall in her seat.

               "Lift your hands up a bit. That's good. Just like that. See how he's slowed down a bit and gotten into a smoother canter? That's where you want him."

               Alice nodded her head and grunted a soft reply. Jensen knew that many of the girls hated that they give a response to his direction but he wanted to know that they were hearing him.

               "Okay bring him down to a walk and reverse."

               "Is that the new stallion out front?" Alice asked as she turned Buck.

               "Yeah. His names Ringo."

               "He's really pretty. Which mare are you breeding him with?"

               "I was hoping Sasha. Go ahead and pick the canter back up in this direction."

               Alice lifted in her seat and pushed Buck forward until he picked up the canter. Sitting back she took Jensen's advice from earlier and sat back, lifting her hands out of her lap.

               "Good," Jensen praised. "Very good."

               Alice smiled. "Think my eq will be better this year?"

               "Your eq wasn't bad last year. But it was only your first year with Buck and I warned you that it would be a little iffy. You two have really improved though."

               "When's the first show?"

               "Not sure. But when I find out you'll be the first to know. Okay slow him to the trot then take him over the 'x'."

               By the end of her lesson Jensen had managed to get Alice to a higher jump size then she usually did. She was a little uncomfortable at first, seeing as the highest she had ever done was 18 inch, but by the end she was smiling and asking if she could show at 2'3''.

               "I'll talk to your mom the next time she's here, okay?"

               Alice smiled and removed Bucks saddle. "Okay."

               "Make sure you brush him out real well. He was a good boy today and deserves the extra attention."

               "Okay Mr. Ackles."

               "Turn him back out when you're done and I'll see you next Friday."

               Alice gave Jensen a thumbs up and he moved to finish his stalls.

               "You gonna eat anytime soon?" Chris asked him about an hour later.

               "I've got two stalls left then I'll eat."

               "Misha's gonna be here soon," Chris reminded him. "Why don't you let me finish up so you can grab something."

               "Yeah okay," Jensen conceded, passing Chris the pitch fork. "What have you and Steve been doing all day anyways?"

               "Steve mowed the area around the pastures and I started on cleaning out the fourth pasture."

               "Cool, cool. Call me when Misha gets here?"

               "Okay."

 

               Jensen woke up at one thirty on the couch, his face covered in drool and plastered to a pillow. Groaning he lifted his head and reached for his phone seeing that neither Chris nor Steve called him.

               "Little shit heads," Jensen mumbled as he pushed to his feet and headed outside.

               "How was your nap sleeping beauty?" Misha asked from where he was sitting in the back of his truck with Steve and Chris.

               "You know I fell asleep and didn't wake me?"

               Chris shrugged. "You were tired. Besides we can handle Misha."

               "Whatever. Thanks for coming out Misha. Jane said she'll pay you when she gets back."

               Misha nodded, his blue eyes twinkling. "No problem man. Anything for my best customer. You sure no one else needs work done?"

               "Nah Jasper was the only one. They should all be good until the next time."

               "Okay cool. I'm gonna head out now."

               "See you later man," Jensen said shaking Misha's hand.

               Jensen waited until Misha was out on the main road before he hit Chris and Steve.

               "What the hell man?" Chris squawked.

               "Why the hell did you let me nap?"

               "You looked so peaceful that I didn't have the heart to wake you."

               "I've got the Dodge's trainer showing up in half an hour, a lesson at three, then we've to bring the horses in to feed them. We were supposed to introduce Sasha to Ringo today."

               "We'll do it tomorrow when your schedule isn't so hectic," Steve said.

               Jensen sighed and ran a hand down his face. "Anything happen while I was sleeping?"

               "Nope."

               "Place look good for when this Jared guy gets here?"

               "All the stalls are clean and the grounds are mowed. If the guy doesn't think this place is up to standard then he can go f..."

               "He's early," Jensen mumbled as a flashy black truck came rolling up the drive.

               Jensen didn't know what to expect when thinking of Jared Padalecki but it wasn't the guy that stepped out of the truck. Jared was tall. Like really tall. He absolutely towered over Jensen's six foot one inch frame. His hair was long and almost brushed against his shoulders. He had a strong jaw which was covered in a five o'clock shadow. If you asked Jensen he'd tell you that this man was probably built like an ox; although a heavy jacket covered him.

               "Is Jensen Ackles here?" Jared asked with a booming deep voice.

               "I'm Jensen," he said sticking his hand out to shake Jared's.

               "Jesus," Jared mumbled taking the offered hand. "You're young."

               "Yes sir I am."      

               Jared rolled his eyes. "Jared's fine. I hate being called sir."

               "I know what you mean," Jensen mumbled.

               Jared laughed, a loud all body consuming laugh that had some of the ponies whinnying in response. "Can't imagine anyone ever calling you 'sir'."

               Chris slung his arm over Jensen's shoulder. "He gets called 'kid' a lot. You see how people react to him when he shows up at the shows."

               "I can only imagine." Jared turned to look at the barn. "This place is nice. How old is it?"

               "Two years old. The original burned down about four years ago and my father and I built this one ourselves."

               "How many stalls?" Jared asked as he started walking towards the barn.

               "Twenty. We only have two officially open but we're moving one of the older horses out to a pasture with a run in until we get the second barn built."

               Jared peaked into the tack room. "Tack rooms really big," he commented as he looked around.

               "Over compensated on the area a bit. Dad wanted it so that the boarders weren't falling all over each other to get their stuff."

               Jared nodded. "Frances said you have an indoor?"

               "We do. You want to see it?"

               "Yes please."

               Jensen lead Jared, and Chris and Steve since they were following behind, down the aisle and into the indoor that attached to it.

               "It's set up for my lessons right now but they can be moved away for your lessons."

               Jared nodded and looked around. "How old is the indoor?"

               "A year. I had it built shortly after my dad died."

               Jared nodded. "Mind if I wander around a bit."

               "Go right ahead. We'll just wait outside."

               Jensen grabbed Chris and Steve by the sleeves and dragged them out to the front of the barn.

               "Think he likes the place?" Chris asked, leaning against the barn.

               "No idea."

               Steve peeked his head around the corner. When he looked back at them he whistled softly. "He's mighty fine."

               "'Mighty fine'? Who the hell talks like that?" Jensen asked.            

               Steve shrugged. "You've got to admit he's attractive."

               "I ain't admitting anything," Jensen mumbled, crossing his arms over his chest.

               "Come on man."

               "Nope."

               "Just admit it."

               "Admit what?" Jared asked as he stepped out from the barn.          

               "That we should be in for some more snow," Jensen lied.

               "Nah I think we're good. At least I hope we are. I don't really like the snow."

               "I can tell. Could your jacket be any heavier?" Chris joked.

               Jared shrugged. "I was born and raised in Florida. We're not used to the snow."

               "Why did you decide to move with the Dodge's?" Jensen asked.

               Jared moved to lean against the barn next to Chris. "The money's good. And I like working with Rebecca. She's a good kid."

               "She your only kid?"

               Jared nodded. He kicked some dirt up and looked away. "Yeah," he mumbled. Looking down at his watch he pushed off of the barn. "I've got to get going. The three horses should be here by Tuesday."

               "Oh, yeah, okay."

               Jared stuck his hand out. "I'll see you Tuesday."

               "See you Tuesday," Jensen said shaking Jared's hand.

               Jared waved to Chris and Steve then climbed back into his truck. He gave a honk right as he pulled into the main road.

               "He's nice," Chris drawled.

               "Not as stuck up as I pictured," Jensen mumbled rocking back on his heels.

               "You gonna admit it now?" Steve asked.

               Jensen rolled his head back and looked up at the sky. Letting out a puff of air he rolled his head to the side and looked at his friend.

               "He's ease on the eyes," he admitted.

               "Remember what we were discussing last night?"

               "I've got a lesson to prepare for," Jensen mumbled walking away from his friends.

               "He's gonna die a virgin," Jensen heard Chris tell Steve as he walked away.

 

               Jensen literally clasped into bed that night. His foot with throbbing from Dreamer stomping on him while trying to get away from another mare. He practically limped his way through the rest of his chores and into the house. Chris and Steve mouth henned him until he caved and put his foot up while they made dinner.

               Now though he was laying in bed in the blessed silence getting ready to pass out. He felt old. As he rolled over onto his side, burying his face as deep into his pillow, he finally realized how it was possible for his dad to have a heart attack. This job was tiring.

               His lesson had been easy. Mrs. Jenk was a woman in her forties who just enjoyed being on and around horses. She always made Jensen smile as she talked about her day while tacking up her horse. It was the easiest time of the day when she was around.

               Too bad the geldings had to break through their fencing, causing Jensen, Chris, and Steve, to have to chase them down. After they were all caught that's when Dreamer stomped on Jensen's foot. Then Diamond, a usually sweet horse, bit Steve in the shoulder drawing blood.

               All in all it was a shit night and Jensen was glad to be in bed. But that's when his loneliness crept up. During the day he could keep it at bay, work hard and forget about it. But at night it was harder to deal with.

               Curling up in a tight ball he closed his eyes. Too bad closing his eyes brought images of a tall, long haired, dressage trainer to his mind. Frustrated Jensen turned over and tried getting comfortable on his other side. Luckily though when he shut his eyes again only the usual flashing images of horses greeted him and he was able to drift off to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I have no idea who I want to be top and who I want to be bottom in this relationship. Would bottom!Jensen be okay? Cause I was kind of leaning towards that. But I want you guys to be happy so I'd love to hear for you on preference.


	3. Chapter 3

 

 

The next morning was a difficult one for Jensen. The moment he puts his foot down onto the floor a sharp pain shot through it and he had to sit back down. He bent over, removing the sock he slept in to check out the damage.

            "Shit," he mumbled when he saw the bruise that had formed over night.

            "Jensen?" Chris popped his head into the room at the moment. "You okay man?"

            "I've got a nasty bruise," he said motioning to his foot.

            "Damn man. Think you're gonna need to see a doctor?"

            "Nah, I'll be fine," he told him as he pulled his sock back on. "I might be a little slow going but it'll be okay."

            "You sure? Cause Steve and I can take care of all the chores."

            "We've got a fence to fix and a stallion to introduce to a mare today. You're gonna need help."

            "Come on man," Chris sighed. "Just take it ease today."

            "Nope," Jensen said jumping to his feet. A sharp pain shot through his foot but he just gritted his teeth and kept moving. "If I wanted to take it easy I'd get a normal nine to five."

            "You're just like your daddy," Chris mumbled as he left the room.

            Jensen got dressed and ready for the day. Just like he did everyday he peeked out the window to see what the weather was like for the day. Heavily snow coated the ground with more fat snowflakes falling from the sky.

            "We're in for a cold one," Jensen informed Chris and Steve when he stepped into the kitchen a few minutes later.

            "We putting the horses out?" Steve asked.

            "I want to keep them in for now but if it stops snowing we'll put them out. The snow looks pretty deep so I don't want to have anyone get hurt."

            "You think the fence can wait to be fixed until another day?" Chris asked.

            Jensen pulled back the kitchen window curtain and looked out. "It might have to," he sighed.

            "That mean you're gonna take the day off?"

            "I'm not taking the day off," Jensen mumbled grabbing a mug and filling it with coffee. "It's just a bruise. I get bruises all the time."

            "Whatever man," Chris mumbled pushing past Jensen.

            "Bundle up boys," Steve said as he pulled on a sweatshirt, jacket, hats, gloves, a second pair of socks, and finally a pair of boots.

            Jensen laughed but followed in Steve's shoes and pulled just as much clothing on. While stuffing his foot into his boot though he had to stop after a few seconds because of how much it hurt his foot. He tied the boot as loose as he could then headed outside.

            The snow was a lot deeper than Jensen first thought. Stepping out into the yard he sunk down to just above his ankles. Lifting his foot up Jensen watched as the snow begin sticking to his pants and soaked them.

  
            "Well this is shitty," Chris said from behind Jensen.

  
            "We're gonna need someone to come out and plow," Jensen mumbled moving forward. "We can't get anything done with the snow this deep."

  
            Steve nodded. "I'll call the guy," he said turning around and heading back into the house.

  
            "How's the foot?" Chris asked as they struggled to open the barn door.

  
            "It's fine," Jensen grumbled. "Need better gloves."

  
            Chris rolled his eyes and pulled at the door again. "Do we have a damn shovel?"

  
            "Right here," Steve called running back outside with a shovel in his hands.

  
            "Thanks man."

  
            Chris grabbed the shovel and started digging out the track of the door. Five minutes later he had both sides dug out and the door squealed open.

  
            "I'm a God," Chris shouted, lifting the shovel over his head and pumping it up and down.

  
            "We're not worthy, we're not worthy," Steve said.

  
            Jensen rolled his eyes and took the shovel from Chris's hands.

  
            "You're a child," he told him placing the shovel to the side.

  
            Chris smiled and turned to open the grain room. The sound of the squeaking doors roused a few whinnies from the horses.

  
            "Morning beauties," Jensen called.

  
            Steve looked over at Jensen and smiled.

  
            "What?" Jensen mumbled grabbing a bucket and filling it with grain.

  
            "Nothing man. Nothing."

  
            Jensen picked up a flake of hay and dumped it into Steve's arms. "Just start giving them hay."

  
            "It's freezing in here," Chris mumbled.

  
            "Throw the blankets on the horses when you get in there," Jensen told him.

  
            Feeding look a lot longer then it usually did. Something that would usually only take a few minutes took almost an hour.

  
            "She bit me," Steve said as he walked out of the last stall. "Why do they keep biting me?"

  
            "They don't like you," Chris said with a laugh.

  
            Steve walked past Chris and pinched him in the back.

  
            "What the hell man?" Chris yelped.

  
            Steve shrugged. "Guess I don't like you."

  
            Jensen rolled his eyes from where he was sitting on the steps. "I hired children."

  
            Steve smiled. "You keep us young."

  
            "When's the plow gonna be here?" Jensen mumbled ignoring Steve.

  
            Steve looked down at his watch. "And hour or so. He told me he had to get himself out of his own driveway then he has to plow his mothers drive and he'll be here."  
Jensen nodded slowly. He pursed his lips and looked down at Steve and Chris. "Any suggestions on what we should do?"

  
            Chris looked at Steve then shrugged. "Usually you tell us what to do."

  
            "Right," Jensen grumbled. "I'm gonna go into my office and start on some paper work that needs to be done. One of you can sweep and clean up the barn while the other cleans out at least one of the lockers in the tack room."

            "I call cleaning the tack room," Steve shouted, running towards the room and shutting the door.

            "Looks like I'm doing the barn," Chris mumbled grabbing the broom.

            "Take your time on that. We're in no rush today. Call me when the plow guy gets here so I can pay him, okay?"

            "Right."

            Jensen retreated to his office and relished in the warmth. Sighing, Jensen sat down and pulled his knit cap off of his head. Pulling off his gloves he rubbed his hands together and breathed a hot breath into them then booted up his computer.

            While waiting for the computer to start up Jensen spun his chair around. As he spun he looked at all the things that littered his office. Everything was the same since it had been his father's office. On the desk was a picture of Jensen and his momma from when Jensen was nine. Right next to that was a frame that held a collage of pictures of all six horses that died in the fire. Jensen stopped his spinning and ran his hand down the collage. One of the horses they lost was Loretta. Loretta, his dad's favorite broadmare, was given to his father when he first opened the barn. Two others were her foals, Ben and Winston.

            The sound of his computer booting up startled Jensen. Looking over he saw the logo of the barn shining back at him. Shaking his head, trying to clear the feeling of sadness, Jensen clicked on the icon for the internet and got down to work.

            "Plow guys here," Chris told him a few hours later.

            Jensen looked down at the clock on his desk and frowned. "Yeah okay," he said. "Just let me find my check book."

            "Need any help?" Chris asked moving further into the office. "Your office is kind of a mess."

            Jensen pushed back from his desk and stared at it for a minute. Thirty seconds later he pulled open the second drawer on the left and found the check book right on top.

            "You're Rain Man," Chris said with a whistle.

            "Dad kept it in the same place," Jensen told him getting to his feet.

            Jensen walked past Chris and into the main part of the barn. Jeff,  the plow guy, was currently working on finishing his work. When he saw Jensen he gave him a wave before continuing with his work.

            "Thanks man," Jensen said running up to the truck when Jeff was done.

            "You okay man? Your kind of limping," Jeff said.

            "One of my mares stepped on me yesterday. I've got a pretty nice bruise on my foot."

            "You going to see a doctor about it?"

            "Nah, I'll be okay. How much do I owe you?"

            "Fifties good."

            Jensen wrote out the check and gave it to Jeff. "Thanks again man."

            Jeff reached out and shook Jensen's hand. "No problem kid."

            "I'm not a kid," Jensen grumbled as he walked back into the barn.

            "You okay?" Steve asked, peeking his head around the corner.

            "Fine," Jensen grumbled.

            "He call you kid?"

            Jensen just stalked back into his office.

 

            Sasha was Jensen's favorite mare. It might be because she was the last thing his daddy ever bought for him; she was his twentieth birthday present. But it might be because she was a dapple grey. Standing at fifteen hands the mare stood out when she was in a crowd. [Her rear was spattered with dark black dots that made her grey stand out. Her mane was black while he tail was black at the top and white at the bottom.](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v459/megancham/Horses009-Dapple_Gray_Horse-by_Trud.jpg)  

  
            Ringo  was a darker version of dapple. Jensen didn't even know he was looking for him until his picture popped up on his computer screen. [He was a towering seventeen one hands with a dark mane, lighter tail and a black body that was dotted with white spots all over his body.](http://www.horsegroomingsupplies.com/horse-forums/attachments/horse-breeding/170906d1372643997-calling-all-dark-super-dappled-dramatic-greys-tumblr_mc44fkeous1rzp64no1_500.jpg)  
            "They're gonna have a beautiful foal," Chris said from the sidelines.

  
            "That is if they like each other," Steve reminded him. "What are you gonna do if they don't like each other?"

            "She'll like him," Jensen reassured them as he stroked Sasha's face.

            "How we gonna do this?" Steve asked from where he was standing at the door with Ringo.

            "I want you to slowly walk towards me with Ringo. Sasha's not in heat so they shouldn't act to wildly to each other but I still want you to back at if he starts snorting."

            Steve nodded and took his first steps into the indoor with Ringo trailing behind him. The stallion had his head in the air, eyes wildly looking around the new surroundings. Prancing a little to the side Ringo dropped his head and started sniffing at a jump standard that was near him.

            "Wish we could have done this outside," Jensen mumbled as he watched his new stallion snort at the standard.

            "He doesn't care much of the those," Chris pointed out when Ringo snorted at a potted plant.

            "They're just new to him. He'll get used to it."

            Ringo lifted his head and looked in the direction of Jensen. Whinnying loudly the stallion tried pulling on the lead rope to get himself closer to Jensen and Sasha.

            "How you doing girlie?" Jensen whispered to the mare next to him. "You good sweetheart?"

            Sasha swung her head towards Jensen and started rubbing against his chest. Pushing her away Jensen reprimanded her with a quiet 'no'.

            "She's got the worst habits this one," he commented to the other two men in the room.

            "At least she's standing still," Steve grumbled.

            "Bring him to the next jump and stop him," Jensen instructed.

            "Easier said than done," Steve told him.

            Steve moved until he was about five feet away from Jensen then halted the stallion. Ringo through his head up in the air and let out a high pitched whinny. Bringing his head back down he pranced to the side and looked at Jensen from his new position. Sasha, having finally taken notice to the stallion, snorted and started a prance of her own.

            "Bring him a little closer. Just until they can reach out and touch each other's noses."

            Steve moved until he was about two yards away from Jensen. "This good?"

            "Perfect."

            Sasha snorted and reached her head out. Ringo pranced to the side then matched Sasha's move until they were barely touching noses. With a soft little whinny Sasha took a step forward and bumped her head against the side of Ringo's.

            "What a good girl," Jensen mumbled to Sasha, patting her lightly on the shoulder.

            "Seems they like each other," Chris said as he moved closer to them.

            "I know they would," Jensen said moving Sasha back away from Ringo. "Go ahead and throw his blanket back on him and put him in his stall."

            "No problem," Steve said turning around and taking Ringo back into the barn.

            Jensen turned to Sasha and gave her a pat on the shoulder. Leaning forward he put some of his weight against the horse and relaxed into her. Sighing deeply, Sasha took his weight [then readjusted hers so that she was bearing her weight on her left hip while her right hoof rested in a downward angle](http://us.123rf.com/450wm/nigelb10/nigelb101301/nigelb10130100059/17437552-an-abstract-of-a-horse-resting-a-hind-leg.jpg).

            "How do you do it man?" Chris asked quietly.

            "Do what?" Jensen asked opening his eyes.

            "Get them so comfortable with you?"

            Jensen looked over at the dozing horse and shrugged.

            "She still follow you around when off the lead rope?"

            "Wanna find out?"

            Chris nodded.

            "Okay then. Go close the door so she doesn't try to escape."

            Jensen waited until Chris closed the door to unhook the lead rope from Sasha's halter. Moving away from her Jensen turned to walk in the direction of his seating section. After a confused whinny Sasha moved towards him and followed a foot away from him as he walked. Once Jensen stopped Sasha kept walking until she was standing directly in front of him.

            "You're such a good girl," Jensen praised, scratching her on her blaze.

            Sasha moved closer and tried to rub against him but Jensen dodged her head and skated to the side. With a snort Sasha followed after him. Laughing Jensen booked it to the other side of the indoor with Sasha trotting slowly behind him.

            "Such a good girl," Jensen praised again.

            Chris laughed and shook his head good naturedly.

            "What?" Jensen asked peeking over at him.

            "It's just good to see you unwind and relax," Chris told him. "You don't do it very often."

            Jensen patted Sasha on the shoulder and reattached her lead rope. "Don't really get to do it that often."

            "You could always hire a fourth person so that you can remove some of the work load."

            Sasha lifted her head a snorted.

            "I agree with my mare," Jensen said as he walked past Chris.

            Chris laughed. "Whatever man, whatever."

 

            Jensen didn't learn to ride until he was ten. He can remember looking at a picture of his momma high up on the back of a black horse and feeling like if he could ride too he could be closer to her. So one day, when his daddy didn't have anyone booked for a lesson, he asked him if he could learn to ride. Jensen dad had looked down at Jensen and nodded telling him that if he wanted to ride first he needed to understand the horse. So for three months Jensen groomed a horse named Jake every day for three hours. Finally after three months his hand let him get up on Jake.

            Lead line was the first step to learning on to ride. Jensen sat high up on [Jake](http://jumper4ever3.tumblr.com/post/54967588777/leaving-for-florida-tomorrow-morning-and-leaving) while his daddy let the horse walk in a wide circle attached to a lunge line. The name of the game was learning balance and steering. Jensen learned that have too long of reins meant that the horse would either drop or raise his head to the point that he had zero control and that having too short of a rein made it difficult for him to probably steer. Once his daddy was happy with how he held himself on the horse he took Jensen off the lunge like and attached him to a lead rope to teach him how to trot. The memory of Jake picking up a slow, jog and falling off was something his daddy laughed at until the day he died.

            The next step was learning to trot on his own. It was slow going, posting turning out to be the most difficult thing Jensen had ever tried. Betty, an assistant trainer to her father, used to tell Jensen that he looked like he was constipated when he first started out. Jensen was hunched, hands firmly in his lap, just barely lifting himself out of the saddle. It took him almost three months to get the trot down properly.

            At the age of eleven Jensen was a walk/trot master. His daddy had taken him to a few shows and allowed him to compete in the early morning before his other riders started their classes. Jensen placed third or higher in every class and was awarded Reserve Champion at the end of the year banquet. He still has the little trophy that they gave him that night.

            Learning to canter was like learning to fly for Jensen. The moment his daddy gave him the go ahead to move Jake into the canter is a moment he'll remember forever. At the age of seven Jake was the most well behaved horse that his father owned and he had the easiest, slowest canter ever. When Jensen asked for the canter Jake picked it up right away, transitioning into it like an old pro. Jensen can remember wishing he could remove his helmet so that he could let his hair flow in the wind. He wanted to throw open the rings gates and race out and into the open area. He remembers laughing, head thrown back and rein extremely lax as Jake moved forward at his slow pace. It was pure heaven.

            Jumping scared Jensen. Still sometimes scares him to this day. His father started him out over a small cavaletti jump; just tall enough for Jake to step calmly over like it was nothing. But to Jensen, twelve at the time, that cavaletti might as well have been 4′0″. When asked why he couldn't practice over ground polls like every other person just starting out Jensen's daddy told him that he needed to go higher to get over his fear. So Jensen just sighed and steered Jake over the cavaletti; just praying that he wouldn't fall off.

            Two years later Jensen was standing with his momma in front of a board that told him his jumping course. Jensen's momma had her arm slung over his shoulder, head bent close to him like she was telling him a secret, helping him memorize the course. She pointed out best ways to approach the jump, cutting corners so that he could shave some time off.

            "If you can't remember I'll shout them out to you," she reassured him with a pat on the shoulder.

            Jensen nodded and climbed back onto his horse Timber; Jake had been sold after Jensen decided that he didn't want to hunters after all. He remembers patting the buckskin Warmblood and whispering the course to himself while his mouth repeated it to him from the ground. He got his best time that day and placed first. He still has that ribbon hanging in his room too.

            After Jensen's momma died he considered quitting riding. Getting back in the saddle reminded him too much of his momma and he just didn't want to feel that ache. He sold Timber and resigned himself to a life of just grooming for his father's girls at the shows. But the pull to ride was just too great and a year later he climbed back into the saddle and just rode for fun.

            Jensen sighed and lifted his head from his daydream. He stared at the clock on his desk seeing that it was a few hours before the horses needed to be fed. Giving a quick nod of the head he got up and headed to the main barn area. Steve and Chris were in the house eating lunch which meant Jensen was alone with the horses. Moving at a slow pace he approached Sasha's door and opened it.

            "How do you feel to a work out?" He asked the mare.

            Sasha lifted her head and whinnied softly.

            "I'll take that as you telling me you like that idea."

            Jensen slipped Sasha's halter on and lead her out of the stall. He attached the mare to the cross ties then moved to the tack room to grab everything that he needed. He started by grooming the horse, a task that usually took Jensen almost an hour to do even if he was just riding at home. Her coat was brushed with a curry comb then hard and then soft brush. Her mane and tail was brushed out, getting rid of all the tangles and knots that had formed since the last time he rode her and finally her hoofs were picked and cleaned.

            Jensen tacked her quickly, something that he did in less than ten minutes, then lead the horse into the indoor. He adjusted his stirrups then her girth and finally climbed up onto a mounting block so that he could swing his leg over.

            "Just some light work," he informed the horse, petting her shoulder lovingly.

            'Light work' meant walk/trot for Sasha. Since she was only a young horse, only four years old, Jensen didn't want to do too much on her and possibly cause he injury. So he just puttered around the indoor with her doing different things that he would do with his beginner riders.

            "Sitting trot," Chris called out as he entered the indoor.

            "Bite me," Jensen shot back when he passed by him.

            "What you doing up there on that horse?"

            "Got bored and needed to ride."

            Chris nodded and sat down on the mounting block. "Anything you want to talk about?"

            Jensen shrugged and picked up the trot. "Nope."

            "Okay."

            They lapsed into silence, the only noise in the room the sound of Sasha's roofs hitting the ground. The longer Jensen rode the more his head cleared. All feelings of sadness he had earlier while thinking of his momma faded away as Sasha moved around the ring. The only thing that was really bothering him at that moment was the lingering feeling of pain in his foot.

            "How's it feel?" Chris asked him after a long stretch of silence.

            "How does what feel?"

            "Riding a horse."

            "You've never been on a horse?"

            Chris nodded his head. "Never got the balls to climb up and try," he admitted.

            "Man, you've got to try it," Jensen said halting Sasha in front of Chris.

            "What's it like."          

            "Freedom, man. It's like freedom."

            "Freedom?"

            "It's the greatest feeling in the word."

            Chris nodded. "I ever tell you how I ended up working for the Dodge's?"

            Jensen shook his head.

            Chris leaned back, throwing his head back and staring at the ceiling. "I was sixteen," he said quietly. "My momma was an instructor at their barn and she thought that working with horses would be good for me. I was an angry kid, always getting in fights at school, and she told me that working with them would mellow me out. I did everything to get fired from that place. But Mr. Dodge kept me on through it all. By the time I was eighteen I realized that I loved it there and hadn't tried to get fired in years."

            "Why'd you leave?"

            "Mr. Dodge died and Frances took over. I liked her fine but she didn't have the same laid back attitude that her father had. One day I was five minutes later for work and she fired me. I was so crushed that I high tailed it out of the state and moved up here. I worked at four places until your dad hired me two years ago."

            "My dad really liked you," Jensen told Chris. "Told me you were a gift from God."

            "Funny," Chris mumbled to the ceiling. "I used to say the same thing about him."

 

            "Phone," Steve yelled out as Jensen walked into the house.

            "I've got it," Chris yelled.

            Jensen shucked off his coat and removed his hat and gloves. Sitting down he gingerly removed his boots and tossed them into the pile of wet boots.

            "It's for you Jensen," Chris called out.

            Jensen sighed and pushed to his feet. Entering into the living room he could sell the pasta sauce that was cooking in the kitchen. His stomach growled loudly reminding him that he didn't eat lunch. Walking into the kitchen he pushed Chris away from the phone and picked it up.

            "Hello?" He mumbled into the phone.

            "Jensen? It's Jared."

            "What's up?"

            Jared sighed heavily on the other side of the phone. "I'm currently stuck in Georgia because apparently they've never seen snow before and the roads are completely deadlocked. Now of my contacts are close enough to where I am and I was wondering if you knew anyone in the area that has some space open. It's freezing and Rebecca would skin me alive of anything happened to these three horses."

            "Where are you now?"

            "Marietta. It's just outside of Atlanta."

            "You still stuck on the highway?"

            "No. I was able to get off and into town."

            "I've got a friend that lives in the area. Let me call her and see if she's got any space."

            "Okay."

            Jensen hung up the phone and dug his cell phone out of his pocket. Scrolling through his contacts he found the name he needed and pressed the call button.

            "Double D farm how can I help you?" A rather disgruntled voice said into the phone.

            "Is this Jessy?"

            "Yes. May I ask who's calling?"

            "It's Jensen."

            "Jensen," the woman, Jessy, sighed. "How are you doing?"

            "I've got a throbbing foot and a shit ton of snow. You?"

            "No stable hands and four feet of snow. Do you know how long it takes to blanket and feed thirty horses when all on your own."

            "I can only imagine."

            "It's shit," she informed him. "Absolute shit. So what can I do for you?"

            "You got any stalls open? I've got some new boarders coming up from Florida and they're stuck in traffic. Think you could house them until the road ways clear?"

            "How many?"

            "Three."

            "I've got some room."

            Jensen sighed. "You're my hero."

            "Yeah, yeah. Call them and tell them to bring them on over."

            "Thank you."

            "You're welcome kid."

            Jensen hung up the phone and redialed Jared's number.

            "Hello?"

            "The barns called Double D farm. It's probably about a ten minute drive from where you are. Jessy said she had some space open and for you to head on over."

            "You're a life saver," Jared rushed. "Seriously man when I get back up there I am taking you to dinner."

            Jensen blushed and scuffed his good foot against the floor. "That's not necessary," he mumbled.

            "It's extremely necessary. It'll be my treat."

            "Okay," Jensen croaked out.

            "Good," Jared said, smile evident in his voice. "I'll see you in a few days."

            "Bye."

            Jensen hung up the phone and looked up at Chris and Steve. The two older man had dual shocked faces, mouths hanging wide and eyes even wider.

            "What?" Jensen mumbled.

            "I think that was the most I have ever heard you speak before," Chris told him.

            "It's definitely the most I have ever heard from him before," Steve said.

            Jensen blushed and looked down at the floor. "Whatever," he mumbled. "Is dinner almost ready?"

            "It's done," Steve told him.

            "I'll grab the beers," Chris said moving to the fridge.

            Chris, Steve, and Jensen sit down to have dinner with each other every night. They take turns cooking the meals and eat the meals mostly in silence. The only time they don't eat a home cooked meal together at the table is when one of the ventures into town to grab some take out and they eat that together in the living room.

            "Look at us," Chris said passing Jensen the garlic bread. "We're like our own little family."

            "What's that quote? The one from that movie with the alien?" Steve asked around a big fork full of spaghetti.

            "'E.T phone home'?" Jensen supplied.

            "Nah you little shit. The animated one with the little Hawaiian girl who's obsessed with Elvis."

            "They made a movie about a female Hawaiian version of you?" Chris asked.

            Steve threw a piece of pasta at Chris. "Stop being shit heads," he mumbled. "I know you know it, Jensen. You about a decade younger then both of us so there's no way you haven't watched it."

            Jensen put down his beer and cleared his throat. In his best Stitch voice he said: "' _This is my family. I found it, all on my own. Is little, and broken, but still good. Yeah, still good.'"_

Steve snapped his fingers. "That's the one," he shouted.

            " _'Ohana means family, family means nobody gets left behind. Or forgotten.'"_ Chris said over the top of his beer.

            "I knew you knew it," Steve said bumping Chris's shoulder.

            Chris shrugged and took a sip of beer.

            "To Ohana," Steve said lifting his beer in the air.

            "To Ohana," Chris and Jensen cheered.

 

            "How'd you tell your dad you were gay?" Steve asked after dinner.

            Jensen looked down at the dish he was cleaning. "I didn't," he mumbled watching as the plate turned a red soapy color. "He guessed."

            "How'd that happen?"

            "He put two and two together when he caught me flirting with another male rider at a show when I was sixteen."

            Steve laughed and took a sip of his beer. "How'd he react?"

            "I was a male horseback rider. How do you think he reacted?"

            "My dad told me that if I ever turned out gay that he would disown me."

            "How old were you?"

            "Thirteen. It was his version of 'the birds and the bees'. He slapped me upside the head one night when he was drunk and told me he'd personally whoop my ass. He died two years later."

            "How?"

            Steve put his beer down and leaned against the counter. "He got drunk one night and crashed into a tree."

            "You cry at his funeral?"

            "He was my daddy," Steve said. "He may have been a drunken asshole but he was still my daddy. Besides someone had to mourn his loss. Neither my momma or my grand momma went to the funeral."

            Jensen pulled the plug on the sink and dried his hands on a towel. "My dad told me to let my 'freak flag fly'," Jensen said using air quotes. "When I told him I didn't have a 'freak flag' he said to just be happy and be who I wanted to be."

            "You had a great old man," Steve told him.

            Jensen looked through the open doorway and into the living room where he could see the family photo hanging over the fireplace. "I know," he whispered. "I know."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So you know getting your foot stepped on can be extremely painful. My horse Jake stepped and stood on one of my feet almost two years ago and it still hurts. I added picture of the dapples and what a I was trying to describe for a horse in a relaxed position because I was afraid I wasn't describing it well enough. Also because those two horses are gorgeous and I wanted other people to see them. The horse linked with the name Jake is my horse. He's a 7 year old off the track thoroughbed and he is fantastic. I based the horse in Jensen's flash back on him =)  
> This is going to be a bottom!jensen fic. For the people who don't like it I am sorry but I like to switch between the two so since my last one was top!jensen this one will be bottom!jensen. I probably won't go into as much detail as I do in my other fic during the sex scenes because I feel like an overabundance of smut will take away from the story.  
> Hope you enjoyed this horse heavy chapter and I promise Jared will have a bigger role soon enough.


	4. Chapter 4

The next morning Jensen peeked out the window to find that it had finally stopped snowing. The drive need to be plowed again and the door needed to be dug around but the absence of more falling snow meant everything would be easier on the today. Intisipating the cold he would meet the moment he spent outside Jensen pulled on a pair of Long Johns to wear underneath his jeans and an extra pair of socks.

            "One of us needs to go into town," Steve informed him when he came down. "We're out of milk."

            "I'll go out later this afternoon," Jensen said grabbing the mug of coffee Steve was holding out for him. "Think you could call Jeff to come out and plow again?"

            "Already did. He'll be out soon."

            "Cool," Jensen mumbled into his coffee mug. "Someone needs to snow plow the pastures so that we can get the horses out today."

            "Chris is starting that up now."                                                     

            Jensen gave Steve a long look. "How long have you two been awake?"

            "Not very long. Chris was already up and heading out by the time I got up."

            Jensen nodded and finished up his coffee. "Come on then," he said heading towards the backdoor. "We've got some horses to feed."

            The sound of a snow blower coming to life greeted Jensen as he stepped out of the house. Geared with a shovel Jensen and Steve trudged their way through the snow and to the front of the barn. After a few mishaps where Jensen or Steve nearly fell over both were able to get to the barn doors and start digging them out.

            "Wish there was an easier way to do this," Steve puffed out as he dug.

            "Not really many alternatives to doors," Jensen pointed out.

            "Still. This is ridiculous."

            "You could go somewhere warmer. Where there's no snow to dig out," Jensen suggested.

            "Nah," Steve grunted. "I like it here too much."

            After a few minutes of shoveling Jensen and Steve were finally able to pull the doors open. The barn was pitch black and silent. Moving to side Jensen flipped on the switch and the barn lights flickered to life, bathing the wood in a florescent glow. Several horses whinnied softly in greeting, happy that their morning meal was on its way.

            "It's like we never feed them," Jensen mumbled.

            Steve laughed and opened the feed door. "What's you plan for the day?"

            "Feed, turn out, muck the stalls, maybe lunge Jasper for Jane then I'm gonna head to the store."

            "Sounds good," Steve said passing him a bucket.

            With Steve taking the right side and Jensen taking the left side feeding was done in record time. Jensen retreated into his office for the time it took for the horses to eat and soon was back out in the barn helping Steve bring the horses out.

            "Plow guy was here while you were in your office," Steve told Jensen as he grabbed some lead ropes. "I paid him the fifty so that I didn't disturb you."

            "I was playing solitaire, you should have disturbed me."

            Steve smiled. "Look at you living on the wild side."

            Chris walked into the barn covered in snow. "Who's living on the wild side?"

            "Jensen was playing solitaire in his office," Steve told him.

            "Damn," Chris whistled. "Watch out everyone."

            "Ah go to hell," Jensen mumbled pushing past them to grab the first horse to take out.

            Sasha lifted her head and whinnied to Jensen. She moved closer to him and sniffed his jacket. Reaching out he ran his hand down her blaze lovingly.

            "Come on girl," he whispered stepping into her stall. "You get to go play in the snow today."

            Sasha dipped her head so that Jensen could put her halter over her head. She twitched her ears around when the strap of leather slipped over her and sighed. Jensen hooked the lead rope to the ring under her chin and led her out of the stall. Moving to the next stall he repeated the process with Dreamer and led both horses out to the side pasture. Swinging the gate was a little difficult with the deep snow and only one hand but he managed it. He led both horses into the pasture, unhooked their lead rope, then gave them both a little pat to the butt.

            Moving back into the barn Jensen walked down the aisle to Ringo's stall. The stallion lifted his head as Jensen approached and regarded him with an ever watchful eye. When Jensen opened the door Ringo pinned his ears back.

            "Don't you start with me," Jensen scolded the stallion.

            Ringo swung his head around and glared at Jensen. As the man moved into the stall Ringo pulled back and paced to the other side of the stall. Jensen sighed and snapped the lead rope causing Ringo to jump and drop his head. This time when Jensen moved towards Ringo the horse stood still and waited for him to put the halter on him.

            "Being bit of a tough guy huh," Jensen mumbled to the horse giving his forehead a scratch.

            As Jensen left the barn he was glad that he had the driveway plowed. The snow around the edges was piled high and he cringed inwardly thinking about having to walk through it in order to get Ringo to the far pasture. The stallion held his head high in the air as he looked around his surroundings. As they passed by the geldings in the side pasture Ringo let out a high pitched whinny in greeting. Jensen just laughed and moved forward until he was at the pasture and let Ringo go.

            The rest of the horses were moved to their different pastures in orderly fashion. Once all seventeen were out Jensen, Chris and Steve each pulled out a pitch fork and started on mucking the stalls.

            "Your Thoroughbred is a pig," Chris yelled from where he was mucking out Billy's stall. "It's just a bunch of mashed up shit in here."

            "Just clean it out and put new stuff in," Jensen told him.

            "What are we doing with the two empty stalls?" Steve asked.

            "I'm gonna wait until either the night before or the morning of the new horses arrival to deal with them. I also want to completely clean out Jamison's stall. When I'm in town I'm going to stop at the farm supply store and pick up some new mats."

            "We got money in the budget for that?" Chris asked. "We could just hose them down."

            "Since Ringo wasn't as expensive as I first thought he was going to be we have some extra money for farm supply," Jensen informed him.

            "That mean you can hire a new person?" Steve asked

            "I said farm supplies not farm help." Jensen moved some clean shavings around the stall before leaning against him pitch fork. "But I think I'll call that friend of yours to come out and talk about the barn."

            There was silence then the sound of a pitch fork hitting the ground and feet running. "Sweet," Chris said coming to a stop in front of the stall Jensen was in. "I'll give you his number later and you can call."

            "If I don't like him I'm not hiring him," Jensen reminded him.

            "Of course. But trust me, he's good."

            "Take that with a grain of salt," Steve yelled from the stall he was cleaning.

            "I know." Jensen turned to pick up a pile of poop and threw it into the wheel barrel, just nearly missing Chris.

            "Hey," Chris shouted brushing off imaginary poop.

            "Well you shouldn't have been standing there," Jensen mumbled.

            "Jerk," Chris whispered as he moved to finish up his stall.

 

            Jasper is a slow moving German Riding Pony with the tendency to spook at his own shadow. Jensen remembered Jane telling him that Jasper had been abused by his former owners so the poor old guy shied away from a lot of things. He's a pretty mover with great confirmation but when faced with something, like a brick wall jump, he spooks and tried to get away so quick as possible.

            It's hard to break a horse of the habits Jasper has and even though Jensen has been working with him and his owner Jane for a while the horse still doesn't seem to be approving. Watching Jane, a pleasant woman in her thirties, get dumped off the side of Jasper because a person moved from their spot next to the ring has had them both frustrated beyond belief.

            Right now Jasper is snorting and trying to run away from a blue jump in the indoor. Jensen has tried moving him up to it so he can see it but the horse downright refuses. At this point, as Jasper tries to rear up, Jensen is just glad he's not on the horses back.

            "It's okay," he whispered to the horse. "It's not going to eat you."

            Jasper looked at Jensen from the corner of his eye and snorted. Then he looked back at the jump and snorted at that. Back and forth he went until finally he shied to the side, pulling Jensen with him several feet to the left. Jensen planted his feet after being dragged forward and pulled on the lead rope. Jasper's head went up into the hair, wild eyes looking around the room quickly.

            "You okay?" Chris asked.

            "Fine," Jensen grunted. "Can you move that jump away?"

            Chris nodded and got to work dismantling the jump. Once done he stepped back into the doorway of the indoor and tried to stand as still as possible. 

            "Okay," Jensen whispered to the horse, "let's see how this goes."

            Jensen dropped some of the lunge like so that he was only holding a small amount and asked for Jasper to walk. Jasper looked around quickly then started moving in a slow circle around Jensen. As Jasper moved Jensen pivoted so that the horse was always in his line of sight.

            "Trot," Jensen called to the horse, lightly snapping the whip he had in his hand.

            Lunging horse can be the most dizzying thing in the world. As the horse speeds up so does the person that is lunging them. Jensen used to have to stop the horse from moving when he first started lunging horses on his own because of how nauseas he'd get. His daddy would fall over laughing as he watched Jensen.

            "Canter," Jensen prompted the horse. When Jasper continued to trot Jensen snapped the whip and after a few strides in a trot Jasper finally picked up the canter.

            It was all going well until Chris shifted his weight to his other foot. Jasper must have seen it because he bucked out and tried to run away. In his efforts to try from losing the spooking horse Jensen dropped the whip and bunched the lunge line in his hands. Somehow the rope got wrapped around his hand and the next to Jasper pulled the lunge like went taut and Jensen cried out.

            "Shit," Jensen shouted, dropping the lunge line.

            Jasper took this as the opportunity to try and run away from Jensen. Booking it Jasper headed the door but stopped dead when he spotted Chris. Thinking quickly Chris grabbed onto the frightened horses dropped lunge line and pulled him towards him.

            "You okay?" Chris asked.

            "Fine," Jensen mumbled. He removed his glove and looked at his hand. "No damage. Just hurt like a bitch."

            "You sure there was no damage?" Chris moved closer and checked Jensen's hand. "This hurt?" He asked as he pressed down on Jensen's palm.

            "Nope," Jensen told him. "I might get a bruise but I think I'll live."

            "Sorry man," Chris muttered. "I wasn't thinking."

            "It's fine," Jensen mumbled pulling his glove back on. "If it wasn't you it would have been something else."

            "You going to continue?"

            Jensen looked down at his watch and saw that it was past twelve. "Yeah," he muttered taking Jasper. "I'll finish with him then get some lunch before heading out."

            Chris nodded. "Just be careful."        

            "Will do."

            Jensen unclipped the lunge like from Jaspers halter and moved it to the other side.  Once had Jasper moving again he repeated everything he had done the other direction. Luckily this time though nothing happened and Jensen was done by one thirty.

            After a thorough brushing Jensen let Jasper back outside in the pasture then headed into the house. The smell of tomato soup assaulted him when he pushed open the door. Removing his jacket and such as quickly as he could Jensen wandered into the kitchen.

            "Any of that left for me?" He asked Steve who was leaning over a pot on the stove.

            "Yup," Steve said. "Want some?"

            "Yes please."

            Steve moved to the side and grabbed a bowl. He put some into the bowl then turned to pass it to Jensen.

            "It home made?" Jensen asked taking a sniff.

            "Campbell's."

            "That's good too."

            Jensen moved to the kitchen table and sat down. "You need anything from the store?"

            "Can you pick something up for dinner?"

            "Anything specific?"

            Steve grabbed his own bowl of soup and moved to sit next to Jensen at the table. "Burgers sound good?"

            "You going to make them?"

            "Sure as hell not going to let Chris do it."

            Jensen laughed. "Where is Chris?"

            "Taking a nap. He said afterwards he's going to go out and move shit around in the tack room. According to him I did a shit job."

            "What are you going to do?"

            "Fix the side pasture fence."

            Jensen dropped his spoon and groaned. "I forgot about that."

            "It's fine," Steve told him. "I'll be able to do it myself. By the way how is your hand?"

            Jensen opened his hand and showed it to Steve. "Fine. I was wearing gloves so I didn't lose any skin."

            "Lucky," Steve said with a whistle.

            Jensen stood up and put his empty bowl in the sink. "I'm gonna head out. I should be back in time to help bring in the horses and feed."

            "Cool. See you later."

 

            The grocery store is surprisingly crowded when Jensen got there. For such a small, dreary town, Jensen is not used to so many people milling around. The parking lot is almost completely full and it takes Jensen several minutes to mind a parking spot.

            "Hey Jensen," Misha called out.

            Jensen jogged over to the Ferrier and smiled. "Hey Misha," he greeted. "How are you?"

            "Pretty good. Business is kind of slow though because of the snow. I had all of my appointments canceled yesterday because of it."

            "Sucks," Jensen mumbled.

            "Yeah. I'm hoping it'll pick up in the next few days."

            "By the way I've got some new horses coming into town soon. Maybe you can pick them up as clients."

            "The Dodge's?" Misha asked.

            "Yup. You meet them?"

            "Frances Dodge called me a few days ago asking if I could come and look at them when they get here. You have any idea when that would be?"

            "Tuesday? Jared got stuck in Georgia last night and I don't know if he was able to get moving again."

            Misha leaned back against his truck. "Cool, cool."

            "How about I call you when he shows up?"

            Misha straightened up. "Sounds good." Looking down at his watch he checked his watch. "I've gotta get home. My wife will kill me if I am not home before the kids."

            "See ya later," Jensen called after Misha's retreating back.  

            Grocery shopping for three guys is easy. All you have to do is make sure you get a ton of meat. Knowing Chris he'd want bacon, Steve likes to have at least four extra backs of beef jerky on hand 'just in case', and Jensen is always partial to anything ham. Corn, carrots, and cauliflower  are bought to supplement actual vegetables because anything green is not allowed to be brought into the house. Frozen is easiest and sugar cubes are a must, for the horses of course. Beer, coffee and bottles of water are the only types of beverages allowed in the house.

            By the time Jensen is done his cart full almost to the rim. He has some things hanging over the edge so that he can leave room for the softer things. It makes Jensen roll his eyes thinking about the looks the cashier is going to give him.

            "Hey Jensen," Becky greets.

            Jensen smiled at Becky as he piled mounds of bacon onto the belt. "Hey Becky. How have you been?"

            Becky smiled. "Okay," she said with a shrug. "Been working a lot of hours recently."

            "I've noticed.  Are you having trouble paying for lessons again?"

            "Yeah," she muttered.

            "You know," Jensen said stopping his process of separating  food from non food items, "if you want I could give you a discount on lessons."

            "Oh yeah? How could I do that?"

            "Well I'm looking for some part time help. All I need is for you to come out and sweep the barn at least once a week and I can give you lessons for twenty dollars."

            "Really?"

            Jensen nodded. "Think you can do that?"

            Becky nodded her head. "I can," she said.

            "Okay then. Just dropped by whenever you can."

            Turning back to his cart Jensen finished putting all of his groceries on the belt. Once everything was out of the cart he moved over to help the girl packing his groceries put them in the cart. He knew that it was a daunting task trying to help him because of all the stuff he had and he wanted to make her day just a tiny bit easier. She smiled at him and thanked him in a very small voice.

            "Thanks again," Becky said as she handed Jensen his receipt.

            "See you in a few days?"

            "Yup!" She called after him.

            Jensen drove home with the country music station blaring and the window rolled down. As he cruised down main street and waved cheerfully to the people that acknowledged him. The farm supply store was just off main street so he took a quick detour that way so that he could pick up the supplies needed. Once he had everything he needed he climbed back into his truck and headed back home.

            "Someone help me," Jensen yelled out as he struggled to get groceries into the house.

            "Did you buy the whole damn store?" Chris asked.

            "Most of it," Jensen joked. "I did leave most of the bacon."

            "The horror," Chris gasped. "Turn around and bring it all home."

            "Relax. I got like seven packs of it. We're set for a while."

            Chris dug through the bags until he found said bacon. "Hello," he cooed.

            "You're so weird."

            Chris smiled and started putting the food away. "What are we having for dinner?"

            "Burgers," Jensen said holding up the patties. "Steve said you're not allowed anywhere near them."

            "Asshole."

            "So I hired someone."

            "Really? Who?"

            "Becky."

            Chris's smile dropped. "That twenty year old girl that rides Jamison?"

            "Yup. She's only going to be working like one day a week but she's been having trouble paying for lessons so I want to help her out."

            Chris nodded.

            "Is there something wrong with that?"

            "No it's just...I was kind of hoping that you would hire someone to work all of the days of the week."

            "Right now I just feel like we don't need it. But I promise that once we have the second barn built I will bring someone in."

            "Yeah okay."

            "Is that everything?" Jensen asked looking around at the empty plastic bags that now littered the kitchen.

            "Looks like it."

            "Cool. Where's Steve?"

            "Out in the barn. He finished the fence about an hour ago and I think he's currently moving some hay down from the loft."

            "We should head out there."

            Chris groaned. "Fine," he mumbled moving towards the door.

            Jensen smiled and followed after Chris.

 

            Jensen got a call from Jared right before he was climbing into bed for the night.

            "Yeah?" Jensen grunted into the phone.

            "I really hate to do this to you but I'm about fifteen minutes away from the barn."

            "Thought you weren't getting here until Tuesday," Jensen mumbled, climbing back out of bed.     

            "Your friend Jessy gave me direction that cut some of the time out."

            "I only have two stalls open," Jensen warned as he hopped into his pants. "And the other two aren't even cleaned out yet."

            "Do they have clean shavings?" Jared asked.

            "Yeah...."

            "So it'll be fine. And Pie can just be put into indoor for tonight."

            Jensen dropped his phone and put it on speaker. "Pie?"

            "He's Rebecca's pony. She's had him since she was six and absolutely refused to leave him behind."

            "It'll get Chris and Steve to clear out the jumps in the indoor," Jensen told him. "They eaten?"

            "No. They've had hay but haven't had grain since this morning."

            "They eat anything special?"

            "They eat the same brand as I saw in your grain room. I'll give them some when I get there."

            "I've gotta wake Steve and Chris. Talk to you in a few."

            Jensen hung up the phone and padded down the hallway to Steve's room.

            "Get up," he yelled, banging on the door. "Jared's gonna be here in five minutes and I need you and Chris to clean up the indoor."

            Steve pulled open the door and scowled at him. "I just got comfortable," he complained.

            "Well too bad. Get some clothes on and head out."

            Chris's door open to reveal that he was fully dressed. "You suck," he mumbled tiredly as he headed for the stairs.

            Headlights could be seen streaking across the second floor through the window at the end of the hall. Steve mumbled something about people not letting him sleep and slammed his door.

            "Hurry up," Jensen yelled hitting his door again.

            Running down the stairs Jensen stuffed his feet in his boots, pulled on his jacket and headed outside. As he came around the side of the house Jared stepped out of his truck and gave Jensen a wave.

            "Hey," Jared called out. "Sorry again about this. I really thought I'd be here later."

            "It's cool," Jensen reassured.

            The back door to the house was slammed shut and Steve came trudging out. Walking passed Jared and Jensen, Steve gave Jared the stink eye and mumbled something to himself. When he got to the barn he turned to give Jared another dirty look then disappeared.

            "He's...pleasant," Jared remarked.

            "He's just grumpy that I made him get up."

            Jared looked down at his watch. "It's only nine thirty. Were you guys really in bed when I called?"

            "We're up at four every morning," Jensen told him.

            "Four?"

            Jensen nodded.

            "So I guess we should do this quickly before Steve passes out on us."

            Jared moved to the back of the trailer and opened up the doors. The first horse in the four horse trailer was a small piebald pony.

            "He's called pie because he's a [piebald](http://www.canaryzoo.com/Horse%20Colours/colour%20piebald.JPG)?" Jensen asked.

            "Like I said: she was six."

            Jensen laughed and climbed into the trailer. Taking the lead rope Jared offered him, Jensen unhooked Pie from the trailer and moved him backwards. It was a little rough going because of the minimal light but Jensen managed to get the pony down out of the trailer.

            "He's a cutie," he commented. "How old is he?"

            "Fifteen. Sam age as Rebecca."

            Jensen nodded and lead the pony into the barn. As he walked past he grabbed two flakes of hay and tried his best to carry it while the pony attempted to eat it. When he got to the indoor he found Steve and Chris moving the last set of jumps away.

            "Who's this?" Chris asked.

            "This is Pie," Jensen told them.

            "He's a little cutie," Steve commented.

            Jensen dropped the hay unto the ground. "Can one of you go help Jared while I finish up with Pie?"

            "I'll do it," Chris said as he jogged out of the indoor.

            Steve watched Jensen with Pie for a moment. "Do you still need me?" He finally asked.

            "Nah I think we've got it covered. You can go back to bed."

            Jensen pulled Pie's halter over his head and lift the horse to eat his hay. Following closely behind Steve he gave the older man a pat on the back when they parted ways at the front of the barn then went looking for Jared. He found the older man standing in the stall with a bay Warmblood.

            "This her main horse?" Jensen asked leaning against the stall.

            Jared looked up at Jensen and smiled. "Yeah," he said giving the horse an affectionate pat. "His names Remy."

            "What about the other one?"

            "Gigi."

            "Both Warmbloods?"

            "Gigi's an Oldenburg."

            Jensen nodded.

            Jared took Remy's halter off and stepped out of the stall. "I sent Chris back to bed. You can follow him if you want."

            "I'm okay," Jensen told him taking a seat on the nearest tack trunk that lined the aisle.

            Jensen watched Jared wander back and forth from the truck a few times. Once he had all the things moved he disappeared into the grain room for a bit. When he reemerged he had three buckets in his hand.

            "You don't really talk much," Jared commented as he walked passed Jensen.

            "Don't have much to say," Jensen grunted.

            Jared came back from the indoor and sat next to Jensen. He bumped their hips together and smiled.

            "Tell me about yourself," he prompted.

            "What is this a first date?" Jensen mumbled.

            "Your cute when you mumble," Jared told him.

            Jensen blushed and looked down.

            "I'd still like to take you out for dinner," Jared said.

            "I'm not that great of company."

            "Why don't you let me be the judge of that?"

            Jensen shrugged.

            "How about Wednesday? You have free time that night?"

            "I've got free time every night."

            "Then Tuesday it is," Jared said hopping to his feet. "Have anywhere I can park my trailer?"

            "Where it is right now is fine."

            "Cool, cool."

            "You heading out now?" Jensen asked.

            Jared looked down at his hand. "I, uh, I kind of don't have a place to stay tonight."

            "I've got a guest room," Jensen offered.

            Jared let out a breath. "Good," he sighed. "Thought I was gonna have to sleep in my truck."

            Jensen got to his feet. "It's a good thing I'm such a good guy."

            Together then got Jared's trailer unhooked from the back of his truck then Jensen led Jared into the house. After taking their winter clothing Jared stepped passed Jensen and into the living room.

            "This place is nice," Jared told him.

            "Thanks," Jensen mumbled, blushing. "You hungry? There's plenty of food in the fridge."

            Jared yawned. "I think I'm just going to head to bed," he said.

            "Just follow me then," Jensen prompted.

            Jensen led Jared up the stairs and down the hall. They stopped at the door at the far end of the hall and Jensen pushed open the door.

            "The room hasn't been used in a few months so it might be a little dusty. Everything is clean though."

            "Sweet." Jared took a step into the room. "This is really nice of you."

            "It's no problem," Jensen mumbled with a shrug.

            Jared nodded and looked away.

            "So I'll see you in the morning then," Jensen whispered before retreating down the hall before Jared could respond the him.

            Behind the safety of his own bedroom door Jensen is able to breathe again. Jensen stripped out of his clothing and climbed into bed in only his boxers. When he was under the covers he let his mind wander.

            He could admit to himself, and only ever to himself, that he found Jared appealing. Jared had the type of personality that Jensen could find himself getting sucked into. There was just something about the way that the man held himself that made Jensen clam up more than he usually would. And Jensen could admit that the longer he spent around Jared the harder it would be not to fall. It was the same process he had gone through with Steve when the man came to work for his father. Jensen had been seventeen and Steve was the most interesting thing he had ever seen. The older man's personality pulled him in and Jensen had nearly drowned in him. When Steve found out about Jensen's crush he had patted Jensen on the head and told him sweetly that he wasn't IT for him, that Jensen would find his one and would forget Steve ever had the hold on him.

            Jensen is glad he never tried anything with Steve. After his daddy died Steve was there to console him and help him pick up the pieces. The man was his rock, his best friend, and Jensen shutters at the idea of Steve not being there for him.

            Jared on the other hand was nothing to him; he was just a pretty face moving into the area. But Jensen could still tell that he was going to be up shit creek without a paddle soon no matter what he did. And he knew that because he was going to except Jared's invitation to dinner for Wednesday night. He was going to go out with the man and end up falling madly in love with him.

            "Fuck," he muttered to himself.

            Closing his eyes he scooted to the middle of the bed and rolled over onto his stomach. With his head buried deeply into the middle of his pillows he tried to shut off his wandering brain. Eventually his brain slowly shot off, and to the images of Jared when he first climbed out of his truck, Jensen fell into a restless sleep.

 

            "Morning," Jensen grunted when he entered the kitchen the next morning.

            "Morning sleeping beauty," Steve said from the stove. "How'd you sleep?"

            "Badly," he told Steve over a cup of coffee. "You?"

            "Very well after you rudely awoke me last night."

            "Where's Chris?"

            "Still sleeping."

            Jensen grunted and went to stand up when the back door banged open. Peeking around the wall he saw Jared coming into the house covered in hay.

            "What have you been up too?" Jensen asked him.

            Jared looked up from where he was untying his boots and smiled. "I thought since I woke you guys up that I'd do the morning feed."

            "You fed all the horses?"

            "Yup," Jared said padding into the kitchen. "Mmm smells good. What are you making?"

            "Pancakes," Steve told him.

            "Did you really feed all of the horses?" Jensen asked again.

            Jared smiled and nodded. "Yup. Coffee fresh?"

            "Just put it on," Steve said, flipping a pancake.

            "This is really good," Jared commented. "You got a cup yet Jensen? Cause your brain seems to be on the fritz."

            "It's just...you fed all of my horses without me asking. Steve and Chris don't even do that and they work here."

            "Chris helped," Jared said. "He's out right now finishing up. He'll be in soon."

            Steve turned away from the stove and frowned. "Chris helped you?"

            "We both got up early and decided to do it ourselves. It's really no big deal."

            Jensen moved to the table and sat down. "Today is weird," he muttered to himself.

            The back door opened again and Chris came walking in. "Morning," he called out.

            "Morning," Steve greeted. "You've broken Jensen."

            Chris came into the room with a frown on his face. "How'd I break Jensen?"

            "We fed the horses," Jared supplied.

            Chris just shrugged and grabbed a cup of coffee. "I keep telling him that we need to hire someone to help out around here. I mean Jensen hasn't gotten a day off in years."

            "I don't need a day off," Jensen mumbled.

            "I'm gonna take him out to dinner on Wednesday night so that should help him unwind a bit."

            "You're taking him out Wednesday?" Steve asked.

            "It's a thank you for all the nice things he's done for me lately."

            "I haven't said yes yet," Jensen reminded him.

            "I think you should say yes," Steve told him placing the pancakes down on the table. "It would be nice to get out of the house for one night."

            "Make it all day," Chris suggested.

            "Hey that's an idea," Jared said. "We can make a whole day out of it. You can show me around town. How does that sound?"

            "I've gotta take care of the barn."

            "We'll take care of the barn," Chris said. "You and Jared can have all day Wednesday together."

            "I don't know..."

            "I think it's a great idea," Steve told him. The older man leaned over and whispered in Jensen's ear. "He could be your IT."

            Jensen pushed Steve away from him. "I'll think about it."

 

            How did Jensen know he was about to drown? Well he figured it out when two hours later he excepted Jared's plans to spend all day with him on Wednesday.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Instead of posting a chapter yesterday I went to the beach with my sister. It's been in the 80's here in Florida for the past few days so we took the opportunity to go out and enjoy it. This chapter is a little shorter then I wanted it to be but I kind of ran out of exciting things to write. I'm going to be skipping Tuesday all together in this story and moving right to Wednesday because honestly it's probably not necessary that I keep giving you Jensen, Chris, and Steve's day to day chore list in every chapter lol.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's 3:30 am and I literally just finished this. If you see anything major that you think needs fixing please tell me.

Jared insisted on driving. Which granted made sense in the scheme of things but still has Jensen a little nervous. Jensen always drives. Ever since he got his license he has been the one in the driver seat. He even learned how to tow a trailer so that he could drive to the horse shows. So to say Jensen was a little uncomfortable was an understatement.

            "What do people do for fun around here?" Jared asked as they pulled out onto the road.

            Jensen shrugged. "I don't get out much."

            "I know what you mean. For the longest time I barely interacted with non horse people. My parents told me that being around people who didn't know anything about horses would be hazardous to my training."

            "I was home school after my momma died," Jensen told him. "The only people ever around me were horse people."

            They slowed down to a four way stop sign. Jared peeked a look over at Jensen. "Which way?"

            "Depends. You want to go into town or do you want to get on the highway to Lexington?"

            "Where does the fourth way go?"

            "Not really sure. I've taken it a few times but I've always ended up lost. You'll have to ask Chris or Steve."

            "So straight for town and left for Lexington?"

            Jensen nodded.

            Jared went drove straight. They drove in silence for most of the ride into town. Every few miles a new two story house painted in some sort of cheerfully bright color would greet him. The white cheerful sign was quickly followed by a small main road. Small shops and restaurants lined the quiet street for a few miles before it turned into a very dense community.

            "It's pretty," Jared remarked.

            "Pull over into that parking lot. We can get something eat there."

            "Right."

            Jared parked the car and they both climbed out. Looking around Jared let out a low whistle.

            "Nice little town. How many people live here?"

            "One thousand live within a few miles of the town. The rest of us live on the outskirts on farms and such."

            "The farms supply the shops?"

            "Yeah. Everything is around here is home grown and organic. The farms supply the restaurants and such."

            Jared nodded and held the door open for Jensen. "You supply anything?"

            "Manure mostly. But only on request."

            Jensen squeezed past Jared and into the warmth of the restaurant. The restaurant is mostly quiet, only a few people sitting at the tables sipping coffee. The hostess, Lydia, came rushing forward to hug Jensen tightly.

  
            "Jenny!" She squealed.

  
            "Hey Lydia," Jensen grunted.

  
            Lydia stepped back and looked at Jared. "Who's this?"

  
            "Lydia this is Jared Padalecki. He's the new dressage trainer working at my barn. Jared this is Lydia."

  
            "I'm his long time friend," she informed him. "I didn't know you were offering dressage at your barn."

  
            "I'm not," Jensen said. "Jared works for a girl who is boarding at my barn."

  
            "But I'd love to start training more people on the side," Jared intersected.

  
            "I'll be sure to inform people of that. You want a booth or a table?"

  
            "Table would be nice," Jared said. "It's kind of difficult for me to get into most booth."

  
            "That's cause you're so freakishly tall," Jensen mumbled.

  
            Lydia led them to a table and set their menus down in front of them. "Your waitress will be right with you," she said before moving away."

  
            "Long time friend?" Jared prompted.

  
            "She used to ride at my barn. Quit after the fire that burnt it down though."

            "Jenny?"         

            Jensen bowed his head. "My dad used to call me Jenny. A lot of the old clients call me Jenny."

            "Don't you hate it? Having people call you your dads nickname?"

            "Sometimes," Jensen admits.

            "Hey Jensen," Vikki greets as she walks to the table. "Hello other guy."

            "Hey Vikki. Misha didn't tell me you worked here."

            "I usually don't," she told him. "I pick up hours every now and then."

            "I'm Jared by the way."

            "Oh hey. Misha told me about you."

            "Misha?" Jared staged whispered to Jensen.

            "Misha's the local Ferrier."

            "Oh, yeah, Frances told me about him. I was supposed to call him when I got into town with the horses."

            "He's free tomorrow afternoon," Vikki said. "I could tell him to head over."

            "That would be awesome."

            "Okay cool. So anyways, what do you guys want?"

            "The usual," Jensen told her handing over his menu.

            "And you Jared?"

            "Pancakes and a coffee."

            "Perfect. I'll be right back with your coffee's."

            Jared leaned back in his chair and stared at Jensen. "You know everyone in town?"

            "Mostly. Like I said, it's a small town."

            "Any skeletons?"

            "Skeletons?"

            "Anything that the town doesn't like to talk about. Murders and such?"

            Jensen laughed, shaking his head. "Nah. Most people around here die of natural causes."

            "Boring," Jared singsonged.

            "Seriously?"

            Jared leaned forward. "I'm just joking," he reassured.

            Jensen nodded and looked away. "How'd you end up doing Dressage?"

            "Changing the subject, huh?"

            "All we've been doing is talk about me. Now it's your turn."

            "Okay," Jared said leaning back. "My parents didn't like the idea of my doing any contact or too physical sports so they threw me up on a horse. Originally I was supposed to do Hunter/Jumper but I fell off my horse and my mom freaked out so they had me start taking Dressage lessons instead. I was Nationally ranked by the time I was seventeen. By the time I was twenty I was on the way to going to the Olympics."

            "What happened?"

            Jared looked away. "I..."

            "Coffee," Vikki announced as she moved over to their table again. "Sorry it took me so long to get you your elixir of life. But I had to make a new pot so...at least it is fresh."

            Jared picked up the cup in front of him and took a long sip. "This is really good."

            Vikki smiles down at Jared. "Thank you. Your food should be out in a minute."

            "What made you decide to do Jumpers?" Jared asked Jensen.

            "My mom," Jensen mumbled. "I started off doing Hunters but I wanted to be closer to my mom so I switched."

            "You still compete?"

            "No. I haven't competed since my mom died."

            Jared nodded. "So I was talking to Chris..."

            "That is never a good start to a sentence."

            "Yeah, well, we were talking and he told me that you were looking to hire someone new."

            "Chris has been talking about hiring someone new. I have been telling him that we don't need anyone."

            "I could help out."

            "I couldn't ask that of you."

            "You're not asking, I'm offering."

            "Jared..."

            "I need extra things to do. I basically sit around the house until Rebecca has a lesson and it's boring. It would be a win/win situation. You could have time off."

            Jensen leaned back in his chair and looked at Jared. "How much do you want?"

            "Nothing."

            "Nothing?"

            "I don't need any money. I get plenty from the Dodge's."

            "So you're going to work for me for free?"

            Jared nodded.

            "I've gotta give you something. I'd feel bad."

            "What do you give Steve and Chris?"

            "Room and board plus some money every week."

            "Then give me room and board. That way I can be there early in the morning to help out."

            "You want to live in my house?"

            "Better than living with the Dodge's. They're nice people but it's hard to date people when you've gotta go home to a house full of people."

            Jensen heart sank. "Yeah," he mumbled. "I bet it's difficult."

            "So, what do you say?"

            "Can I think about it?"

            "Sure."

            They lapsed into silence for a while. Eventually Vikki came over with their food so they had an excuse for the awkward silence that now stretched between them. Jensen ate his food slowly; his stomach churning too much to actually enjoy it.

            "You okay?" Jared asked. "You look a little pale."

            "I'm fine," Jensen mumbled.

            "You sure?"

            "Yeah."

            When their meal was finished Jared insisted on paying. Jensen tried to fight with him but Jared told him that it was fine and he could pay for their next activity.

            "What is our next activity?" Jared asked once they were out in the truck.

            "What do you want to do?"

            "When was the last time you went bowling?"

 

             After the tiny bit of awkwardness that they had at the dinner they fell into a comfortable rhythm. Jared let Jensen guide him through town and into the nearest bigger town without as much as a grumble about Jensen's shitty directions. In fact he laughed every time Jensen swore and told him that they had to turn around again. Once again Jared insisted on paying but Jensen managed to elbow him away and get his money out before Jared did.

            As Jensen tied his rental shoes he looked out at the lanes. Jensen had never been bowling before. He had been so busy with helping his dad with the barn that when he was invited to a bowling party he was never able to go. Wanting to feel like a normal person though Jensen lied to Jared and told him that he was great at bowling.

            "You suck at this," Jared laughed as Jensen's bowling ball once again went down the gutter.

            "Shut up," Jensen mumbled.

            Jared scooted closer to Jensen. "You lied to me, didn't you?"

            "What?"

            "You've never been bowling," Jared stated matter of factly.

            Jensen looked away. "Yes I have," he lied.

            "It's fine," Jared whispered. "Seriously."

            Jensen sighed and looked back over at Jared. "I never had time when I was younger," Jensen admitted.

            "Want me to teach you?"

            "You want to teach me to bowl?"

            Jared nodded. "Yeah. Maybe if this Dressage trainer thing doesn't work out I can teach people how to bowl."

            Jensen laughed. "Just take your turn."

            Smiling, Jared jumped to his feet and grabbed his bowling ball. With as much grace, a weird amount of it really, as only a Dressage rider could muster Jared launched the ball down the lane. His ball hits the pins, knocking them all down, and Jared turned back around with a smile.

            "Okay get to your feet," Jared instructed.

            Slowly Jensen pushed to his feet and walked over to Jared. Reaching down Jared grabbed Jensen's bowling ball and passed it to him.

            "Stand the way you usually would," Jared told him, following him as he moved towards the lane.

            "Like this?"

            Jared settled himself behind Jensen. Placing his hands on Jensen's hips he moved him a bit then ran his hands up his sides and down his arms. He settled his hands on top of Jensen's and pressed himself closer.

            "Close your eyes," Jared whispered.

            "How does that help me?"

            "Just do it."

            "Fine," Jensen mumbled.

            "I'm going to lead you arm, okay? Don't worry about it. Just feel the movement."

            Jensen closed his eyes. Jared helped Jensen swing his arm back then with gentle pressure guided Jensen to release the ball. With his eyes still closed Jensen listened to the sound of his ball rolling down the lane and actually hitting pins.

            "Seriously?" Jensen mumbled opened his eyes. "How'd you do that?"

            Jared shrugged. "I guess I am just a fantastic teacher."

            "I'll never be able to redo that."

            "I know," Jared admitted. "But that was fun."

            Jensen grumbled and picked up his ball as it came back up. Turning to the lane he stared down at the remaining five pins. Closing his eyes he took a deep breath and tried to redo what Jared had just done for him. When he opened his eyes he watched as his ball rolled into the gutter again.

            "Okay so maybe I am not that good of a bowling coach."

            "I think you should stick to Dressage."

 

            The next thing Jared wanted to do was go shopping because according to him he owned zero 'appropriate' clothing for weather. So the two of them headed back towards town and decided to look through the clothing selections.  

            "Doesn't it get cold in Florida?" Jensen mumbled as Jared flipped through a rack of sweaters.

            "Cold? Yes. Freezing to the point that my balls might fall off? No."

            Jensen sighed. "It's not THAT cold."

            "How many layers are you wearing right now?"

            Jensen looked down at himself. "Four?"

            "Three?"

            "Under Armour, under shirt, shift, jacket."

            "Are you wearing Long Johns?"

            "Does it matter?"

            Jared moved closer to Jensen. "Does it actually help?"

            "What? Long Johns?"

            Jared nodded.

            "Yes," Jensen whispered.

            Jared moved closer and reached his hand out close to Jensen's thigh. "This is a nice sweater," he whispered, grabbing the sweater that was next to Jensen. He held it out and let Jensen look at it. "Nice, right?"

            Jensen blushed and nodded. "Yes," he whispered.

            "So you think I should get some Long Johns?"

            "It'll keep you warm during the early morning. Put they don't really fit well underneath breeches."

            "So you're going to let me help you out? Let me live with you?"

            "I guess," Jensen mumbled, scratching the back of his neck.

            "Then I am going to need a lot of more clothing."

 

            "You ever wish you didn't have to take over the farm?" Jared asked Jensen during dinner.

            "It's all I know," Jensen told him.

            "That doesn't answer my question."

            Jensen looked out the window at the street, watching as the snow fell. The weather had been nice for most of the day but as they were walking out of the store they were shopping at it started up again. Jensen couldn't help but spare a moment's thought for poor Steve and Chris who had to deal with it.

            "No," he finally said. "I really like it. I get horses, you know?"

            Jared nodded. "How old were you when you learned how to ride?"

            "Ten."

            "Ten?"

            Jensen nodded. "I started working with the horses when I was seven. I would help feed them sometimes but I never really had any contact with them. But when I turned ten I went through this phase where I wanted to be like my mom. The house used to be filled with pictures of her on horseback and I wanted to do that."

            "What if you didn't want to? What if you wanted to do something else?"

            "I don't know," Jensen admitted.

            Jared nodded and took a sip of his water. "Is this conversation making you uncomfortable?"

            "I could use a beer right now," Jensen admitted.

            "Wish I could join you. Part of my contract with the Dodge's says that I can't drink the day before a lesson with Rebecca."

            "Really?"

            "They want my mind to be one hundred percent."

            "Makes sense."

            "What was the worst fall you ever had?" Jared asked after a few minutes of silence.

            "I got thrown through a fence when I was fourteen. I broke three ribs and my shoulder was dislocated. You?"

            "Remember me telling you about why I started doing Dressage?"

            Jensen nodded.

            "The horse plowed through a fence causing me to fall off and just barely miss his hooves."

            "Any injuries?"

            "Broken arm." Jared lifted his arm and pulled down his sleaze to reveal a thin pink scar. "I had to get surgery in order to reset the bone."

            "I've got a scar on my back from when I was bitten by my dad's mare Loretta when I was eight."

            "Was she one of the horses that died in the fire?"

            Jensen nodded his head. "We lost six horses. Two of the other horses were Loretta's foals."

            Jared leaned forward. "I can't imagine," he whispered. "I can't imagine losing a horse in that fashion."

            "I wanted to save them," Jensen admitted. "I wanted to save Loretta and Ben and Winston and Ginger and Devil but my dad told me to save the boarders. The boarder horses needed to be saved first before them. But before I could get back to our six the roof collapsed."

            Jared reached his hand out and took Jensen's hand. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

            "It's fine," Jensen mumbled, wiping a tear that managed to fall. "It gets easier to talk about."

            Jared squeezed Jensen's hand then drew his back.

            "You never told me why you no longer ride," Jensen mentioned.

            Jared looked away. "I don't like to talk about it."

            Jensen opened his mouth then shut it again. Jared had a faraway look on his face, mouth a tight line and cheeks pale. He looked sick.

            "I won't bring it up again," Jensen whispered. "Sorry."

            "It's fine," Jared mumbled looking back over at Jensen. "It's just...difficult."

            Jensen nodded. "So, do you want something for dessert?"

            Jared gave Jensen a tight smile. "Sure."

            "Okay. I'll pay for dinner then we will take the short walk there. Is that okay?"

            "No," Jared told him.

            "No?"

            "No. It's my turn to pay."

            Jensen rolled his eyes. "Fine," he mumbled.

            They finished dinner, paid then exited the restaurant. They moved through the deserted streets slowly, silence stretching between them as the snow fell. Jared smiled and bumped Jensen's shoulder. Jensen looked over and smiled back, bumping Jared back softly.

            "Where are we going?" Jared asked.

            "It's a little bakery that sells some of the greatest baked goods in town. All of the ingredients are organic. It was my mom's favorite place to get pies."

            They stepped into the bakery and the smell of fresh baked goods hit them. Jared turned to Jensen and gave him a big smile.

            "You really know how to cheer a guy up," he said to Jensen as he moved to the counter.

            The girl behind the counter perked up when she saw Jared. She moved over to him and smiled. "What can I get for you?"

            "What is good?" Jared asked her.

            "Everything," she told him. She moved over to the display case and opened it. "I can give you a sample of something if you'd like."

            Jared looked over at Jensen. "What do you like?"

            "The blueberry pie."

            "That's good," the girl said. "But I think this is the best."

            Turning around the girl grabbed a plate and put a small plate before turning back to the case. Carefully she lifted a piece of chocolate cake and placed it on the plate before placing it on the counter.

            "Looks good," Jared admitted grabbing the plate. He lifted the piece of cake off of the plate and took a bite. "This is really good."

            "You want a full plate?" The girl asked.

            "I think I'll try the piece of blueberry pie. What would you like Jensen?"

            "The same," Jensen whispered.

            "Okay," the girl said serving them their pie and excepting their money with a tight smile. "Enjoy."

            "She likes you," Jensen said when they sat down.

            Jared shrugged and took a bite of the pie. "This is good," he practically moaned.

            "Told you so. So..."

            "So?"

            "She likes you," he repeated.

            "Not my type," Jared told him taking another bite of his pie.

            "Not your type? She's cute, how is she not your type?"

            Jared put his fork down and looked at Jensen. "I'm gay."

            "Oh," Jensen whispered.

            "Yeah." Jared picked his fork up and continued to eat his pie.

            "I am too," Jensen told him.

            "Huh?"

            "I'm gay."

            "Seriously?"

            Jensen nodded.

            "Cool, cool."

            They finished their pie in silence and left the bakery without saying anymore.

 

            Jensen leaned against the side of Jared's truck, looking up at him. Jared was smiling; a big one that had dimples peeking out. They hadn't really spoken much since leaving the bakery but it wasn't an awkward sort of silence which was nice. Now they were back at Jensen's house getting ready to separate.

            "Today was nice," Jared told him. "I'm glad we did this."

            "I am too," Jensen admitted.

            "So when do you think would be a good time for me to move in?"

            "Whenever you're ready," Jensen said. "There is no rush."

            "Tomorrow all right for you?"

            "Tomorrow?"

            "I have like three bags to bring over," Jared admitted. "It won't take me a long time to move."

            "Won't you have to arrange something with the Dodge's?"

            Jared shook his head. "I was only living with them because it was easier on me," Jared admitted. "But I don't have to stay with them."

            "Okay. Tomorrow would be okay."

            "Cool. So I'll see you tomorrow?"

            "Yeah, see you tomorrow."

            Jared gave Jensen a smile. Jensen smiled back and moved away from the truck so that Jared could drive away."

            "How'd it go?" Steve asked when Jensen walked into the house.

            "Nice. He's pretty cool." Jensen sat down on the couch next to Steve and stretched out. "He's moving in with us."

            "All ready? I guess that date went really well."

            Jensen leaned over and punched Steve in the shoulder. "Shut up," he mumbled. "He wants to help out on the farm so he's moving in to help."

            Steve nodded. "When?"

            "Tomorrow. So how did today go?"

            "Pretty good."

            "Nothing went wrong?"

            "Nope. Everyone was on their best behavior."

            Jensen let out a breath he didn't realize he held been holding in. "Good. Thank God."

            "I told you we could handle it."

            "Yeah, yeah. I'm going to bed."

            Steve patted Jensen on the shoulder. "Goodnight, Jensen."

            "Night Steve," Jensen said as he got to his feet and heading up the stairs to bed.

            "All right?" Chris asked, sticking his head out from his room.

            "All right."

            "Goodnight then."

            "Goodnight."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Today I found out that 'alright' is not actually considered a word. Which, for me, is weird. So I have decided to get comfortable with only using all right.  
> Also, wow I made Jared cryptic.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know why it took my so long to write this. But here it is. Hope you like it!

 

            Jared is there when Jensen wakes up. He's wearing one of the sweaters he bought the day before and a black hat. Steve was telling him the morning feeding a turn out schedule while stirring a pot of oatmeal.

  
            "You're hear early," Jensen commented, pouring himself a cup of coffee.

  
            "Thought I'd help get a start to the day," Jared said. "Is that all right?"

  
            Jensen nodded.

  
            "Cool." Jared came over and sat next to Jensen at the table. "Steve was just filling me in on how everything goes in the morning."

  
            Jensen nodded. "It's pretty straight forward."

  
            "I gathered."

  
            Steve walked over to the table and placed two bowls of oatmeal down in front of Jared and Jensen.

  
            "Do four of us need to feed today?" Steve asked, sitting down with his own bowl.

  
            "For today? Yes. I want to make sure Jared gets every down. After today we'll switch off on who gets to sleep in."

  
            "Did I hear 'sleep in'?" Chris asked as he entered the kitchen.

  
            "Yeah. With Jared working here now we won't need all four of us feeding the horses in the morning."

  
            "Sweet."

  
            Jensen rolled his eyes. "You'll still have to be up to turn out though."

  
            "It's still two more hours of sleep."

  
            "You're impossible."

  
            Chris just shrugged and got himself a bowl of oatmeal.

 

  
            Rebecca arrives at the barn at eleven. She's decked out in full riding gear, hair pulled back in a severe looking pony tail. She tall, elegant, and kind of scary looking. Jensen even feels a little uncomfortable around her.

  
            "Hello," she greets as she walked passed him.

  
            Steve whistled. "She's a little scary," he admitted. "How old is she?"

  
            "Fifteen," Jared told him.

  
            "Seriously?"

  
            Jared nodded and moved to follow Rebecca down the aisle. They stopped at Gigi's stall, talking low to each other before moving to Remy's stall. After what seemed like a small whispered fight Rebecca threw her arms up in the air and went back to Gigi's stall.Rebecca takes Gigi out of her stall and puts her on the cross ties. She turned to Jared and gave him a smile.

  
            "What?" Jared asked, folding his arms over his chest.

  
            "Aren't you going to help me?" She asked.

  
            Jared laughed. "No," he said, nudging the brush towards her. "I told you already, you need to start brushing your own horses."

  
            "Cheryl used to help me."

  
            "Cheryl was a push over. You and Gigi are never going to work well together if you don't take the time to build a relationship with her."

  
            "Jared," she whined.

  
            Jared bent down and picked up a curry comb. "You move your hand in a circular motion," he informed her.

  
            "You're impossible," she sighed grabbing the brush and started.

  
            Jared moved back over to where Steve and Jensen was standing. "She's usually not this bad," Jared informed them. "She's just having a hard time. In Florida she used to have grooms do everything for her."

  
            "Has it been affecting her riding?" Jensen asked.

  
            Jared nodded. "They don't trust each other. Rebecca is uncomfortable and Gigi gets annoyed fast. I'm trying to avoid an incident from happening."

  
            "Smart," Jensen mumbled.

  
            The three men watched Rebecca brush Gigi for a few minutes before Steve left to finish cleaning the stalls. Jensen excused himself a few minutes after that so he could do some paper work.

  
            As he walked into his office his phone started ringing. Jensen ran across the room and grabbed the phone before it hit voicemail.

  
            "Hello?"

  
            "Jensen, it's Misha."

  
            "Hey Misha. What can I do for you?"

  
            "Vikki told me last night that your boarder is in town. I just wanted to make sure it was okay if I showed up today to look at the new horses."

  
            "Yeah it's okay. I'd suggest you come later on the day because he's working with the girl today."

  
            "Would three o'clock be okay?"

  
            "Three would be good."

  
            "Awesome. See you later."

  
            Jensen hung up the phone and settled back in his chair. There was a bunch of paper work that needed to be done before the weekend but he wasn't really feeling up to it. He also needed to do inventory to see if he needed to order anything but even that seemed too tedious at the moment. But he needed to get them done because no one else was going to do them; it was his job.

            Sighing, Jensen woke his computer up and opened up his Excel program. Finding the right saved document Jensen started working on the budget.

            "You got a minute?" Jared asked several minutes later.

            Jensen looked down at his document then at Jared. "Yeah. What do you need?"

            "Gigi isn't so fond of the jumps in the indoor."

            Jensen stood up from the chair and walked towards Jared. "This a normal thing for her?" He asked as he walked with him down the hall.

            "Not really. I think she's just nervous about being in a new place. She's the same way before shows."

            Rebecca is standing in the middle of the indoor holding Gigi's reins when they walk in. Gigi is standing still but her body language clearly shows just how uncomfortable she is. The big mare was standing with her head high in the air, nostril's flaring and eyes looking around wildly.

            "You're such a drama queen," Jensen heard Rebecca tell the horse.

            Jared and Jensen got to work dismantling the jumps and moving them away. Once most of the were removed Rebecca began walking Gigi around the area where they once were. After a few passes the mare began to calm down.

            "There we go," she whispered. "Such a good girl."

            "Need me for anything else?" Jensen asked, wiping the dirt off on his pants.

            "Nope," Jared said, not looking at him.

            "Okay," Jensen mumbled.

            "Hey," Jared whispered, grabbing his arm as Jensen went to move away.

            "What's up?"

            Jared opened and closed his mouth a few times before releasing Jensen. "Nothing. Just, uh, thanks."

            "No problem."

            Jensen retreated back to his office and started working on the budget again. With the extra money that he had from Ringo being cheaper he found that he had extra left over.

            Next he grabbed a pad of paper and headed out of his office to start on inventory. He started in the grain room, making sure that he still had enough of everything. When he noticed he was almost out of Senior he jotted it down on him paper and headed out. After climbing the stairs he counted the bales of hay; deciding after recounting the bales that getting a few more in wouldn't hurt.

            Climbing back down the stairs he decided to check on the amount of shavings he had. If he thought had enough about it he's pretty sure he already knew but hey, checking wouldn't hurt anyone. As he passed the indoor door though he got distracted.

            Rebecca was halted in the middle of the ring, head bent down in a bow. Jensen held his breath as she moved Gigi forward, starting her pattern. He didn't know what the proper terminology for what she was doing was but he did know that it was beautiful. Rebecca and Gigi moved seamlessly from one movement to the next.

            "She's beautiful, isn't she?" Jared whispered causing Jensen to jump.

            "I didn't mean to interfere," Jensen mumbled.

            "You're not," Jared reassured him, moving closer. "She needs to get used a crowd."

            "What is it that she is doing?"

            **"** Passage **.** "

            "What?"

            Jared laughed softly. "It's called Passage. Basically it's a very collected, cadenced trot that is characterized by elevated movement of the knees and hocks, as well as a defined engagement of the quarters."

            "It's beautiful."

            Rebecca stopped what she was doing and turned to Jared. "What now?" She asked.

            "Practice your flying lead changes," Jared instructed.

            Jensen elbowed Jared. "I know how to do that."

            Jared laughed. "All you horses do automatic lead changed?"

            "I wish. Only three of them do automatic lead changes. I've got one horse that bucks whenever you ask and one who just straight out refuses to do them."

            "My horse never liked doing them. I had to spend half a year not competing because he wouldn't do flying lead changes. Granted I was only thirteen so..."

            Jensen smiled and turned back to watching Rebecca. Somehow the girl was able to even do flying lead changes with the kind of grace only a dressage rider could muster.

            "It really is ballet with a horse," Jensen mumbled.

            Jared laughed.

            Jensen shot him a look.

            "Sorry," Jared whispered. "It's just I am never around none Dressage riders so hearing someone so awed by it is so..."

            "Childish?"

            "Wonderful. Everyone in the sport is so jaded."

            "I know what you mean. I mean 'bobo' is a major thing in jumpers."

            "'[Bobo](http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Bobo&defid=4489204)'?"

            "'A person who participates in elite equestrian competitions who clearly does not have the knowledge, horsepower, and or skill to do so'," Jensen quoted.  "It's mostly used to belittle the girls who don't have as much money as others."

            "That's a thing?"

            "One of my girls had a pink saddle pad one year and got referred to as a 'bobo' so much that she threw it out after a show."

            "Why are girls so mean?"       

            "Because we can be," Rebecca shouted.

            Jared turned to glare at his student. "What are you supposed to be doing?"

            "Flying lead changes."

            "Then do them."

            Jensen laughed softly. "I should get back to what I was doing," he mumbled.

            Jared nodded. "Talk to you later."

            "Yeah," Jensen mumbled before leaving the indoor to finish his inventory.

 

**"** Misha's gonna be here at three," Jensen told Jared after his lesson with Rebecca.

            Jared turned to look at Jensen. "Okay." He looked down at his watch. "Think we have time for lunch?"

            "What time is it now?"

            "One thirty."

            "We have plenty of time."

            Jensen followed Jared out of the barn and into the house. Chris and Steve were sitting in the living room, feet up on the coffee table and cups of steaming coffee in their hands. When they saw Jared and Jensen they waved lazily at them and went back to their show.

            "It usually like this?" Jared asked when they were in the kitchen.

            "Like what?"

            "So quiet."

            "Only during the winter," Jensen informed him. "A lot of m girls can't make it out till later in the day or not until the weekend so we're usually quiet."

            Jared nodded and passed Jensen a cup of coffee. "Sounds about right."

            Jensen laughed. "Not everyone is such a wimp about the cold."

            "I'm not a wimp."

            "How many layers are you wearing?"

            "Five."

            "Exactly."

            "Oh whatever. What do you want for lunch?"

            "Sandwich?"

            "Turkey sandwich?"

            "Sounds good."

            Jared smiled and moved to start making the sandwiches. They stood in silence as he worked, the only sound coming from the television in the living room.

            Jensen could admit that he liked the silence. He liked that he could be in the same room as Jared and not have to worry about filling up the silence. He also liked that Jared was perfectly okay with the silence as well.

            "Hey," Jared whispered, nudging Jensen with a plate.

            "Thanks," Jensen mumbled.

            The two of them moved to sit at the kitchen table. They ate in silence for a while until Jared cleared his throat and put his half eaten sandwich down.

            "So I was thinking that maybe we should hang out again," Jared said.

            "We are hanging out."

            "No I mean like we did on Monday."

            Jensen looked down at his sandwich. "I don't know..."

            "I could be fun. We could go out and see a movie. Maybe dinner afterwards."

            "Jared..."

            The door that connect the kitchen to the living room burst open as Steve and Chris entered the room.

            "The geldings are out," Chris yelled, waving his hands around.

            Jensen jumped to his feet. "What? How?"

            "We don't know," Steve said, a little less frantic than Chris. "I just know that I looked out the window and saw them running around."

            "Shit," Jensen mumbled. "The fence must have broken again."

            Leaving their sandwiches half eaten sitting on the table as they ran out of the house. The geldings were standing just outside of the barn, eating the hay that littered the ground. Working quickly the four men worked on wrangling them into the barn and into the indoor. The five geldings stomped their feet against the word of the aisle and bolted into the barn.

            "We've gotta replace that fence," Jensen sighed.

            "We might as well replace them all when we're at it," Steve said, leaning against the wall.

            "That's going to take forever," Chris mumbled.

            "Either that or we lose the horses."

            "We'll have to start soon."

            "The snows too deep," Steve told him. "We'll have to wait until the spring."

            Jensen slumped back against the wall next to Steve. "Shit."

            Steve turned and placed his hand on Jensen shoulder. "It'll be okay," he reassured him, squeezing his shoulder.

            Jensen looked at Steve. "I know," he mumbled. Straightening up he wiped a hand down his face. "I know."

            "Go inside," Steve said. "We'll deal with it."

            "Let's all go inside. We'll just leave them in there for now."

            Chris, Steve and Jared all nodded their heads and started working their way back into the house. Jensen stayed behind, going into his office instead.

            "You okay?" Jared asked from the doorway.

            "Thought you were going back in," Jensen mumbled.

            Jared walked into the office and sat on one of the chairs on the other side of the desk. "Noticed you weren't following. Just wanted to make sure you were okay."

            "I'm fine."

            "Are you really?"

            Jensen sighed. "Yeah," he whispered. "I really am."

            Jared nodded and looked down at his hands. "It's a lot," he whispered, eyes fixed down. "To take on as much as you did. I don't know how you keep yourself sane."

            "I don't know either," Jensen admitted. "I think if it wasn't for Chris and Steve I would have sunk."

            "They are great guys."

            "Yeah."

            Jared looked up at Jensen. "You and Steve..."

            "What about us?"

            "Are you dating?"

            Jensen barked out a laugh. "Oh God, no."

            "Oh..."

            "I had a crush on him for the longest time when he first started working for my dad."

            "Now?"

            "Now he's like an older brother to me. When he first came here he was this older guy who seemed to have his life together. He didn't have all these responsibilities heaped on his shoulders so he was so care free. I just sort of gravitated to him. When he found out about my crush on him he was so sweet as he told me basically that it was never going to happen."

            "Is he gay?"

            "Why you wanna take a crack at him?"

            "Maybe."

            Jealousy coiled its way through Jensen's belly as he thought about Jared with someone else. He didn't want to see that. He especially didn't want to see two people that he loved, one in the past and one in the present, together.

            "You okay man?" Jared asked. "Cause I was just joking. Steve's cooling and all but he's not really my type."

            Jensen let out a long breath he didn't know he was holding. He let out an humorless laugh. "No one is your type, huh?"

            Jared's frown deepened. "Everyone who is my type usually doesn't like me."

            "That's impossible. I can't picture you not getting people you want."

            Jared shrugged and looked away. He pushed his feet and said: "I'm going to go inside and finish my sandwich. You coming?"

            "Yeah."

            As they walked back towards the house Jensen couldn't help but think about Jared question. Going out with him the first time had been a lot of fun; it was the most fun he'd had in years. But Jensen also didn't want to let himself fall more for Jared only for the older man to do the same thing Steve did.

            "Yes," Jensen mumbled, not really realizing the words came out of his mouth.

            "What?"

            "Uh, yeah, I'd love to go out with you."

            Jared stopped walking and turned to Jensen. "Really?"

            "I think it could be fun. I mean I really enjoyed myself on Monday so..."

            "Awesome," Jared said, a large dimpled smile breaking out across his face. "That's awesome."

            "When did you want to do it?"

            "Tomorrow night?"

            "Sounds good."

            Jared nodded, smile still firmly on his face, and continued to walk towards the house.

  
****

            The rest of the day and the next day go by in a blur. Jensen can't think about anything except for his date with Jared. Even though he's not sure if it really is a 'date' he likes calling it one in his head. If it is a date, well, it would be his first.

            "You think this is okay?" Jensen asked Steve, showing him the outfit he picked out.

            "Think it's perfect," Steve told him.

            "Not too formal?"

            Jensen is wearing a button down shirt with a pair of dark jeans. The jeans are a little tighter than he would usually would wear for everyday work but he wanted to look good. He's swapped out his usual paddock boots for a pair of black shoes that uses for banquets.

            "Not too formal," Steve reassured.

            Jensen turned back to the mirror and looked at himself again. "You think my hair looks okay?"

            Steve walked forward and placed his hand on Jensen's shoulder. "I know you are nervous but you've gotta breathe, okay? You look good. Why are you freaking out so much?"

            "If this is a date it'll be my first."

            "I know," Steve told him. "Just think of it as you two hanging out. You spent the whole day with Jared on Monday. Just act the way you did then."

            Jensen nodded. "You're right," he mumbled.

            "I know I am."

            Jensen turned and punched Steve lightly in the shoulder.

            "Jensen?" Jared called out. "You ready to go?"

            "Be right down," Jensen yelled back.

            Jensen took a deep breath. "I can do this," he whispered.

            "Yes you can," Steve told him.

            "Okay."

            Jensen finally made his way down the stairs to meet Jared by the door. When Jared saw him he smiled and let out a long breath.

            "Thought you changed your mind," he said.

            "Nah," Jensen reassured him, pulling on his jacket. "Just talking to Steve about something."

            Jared nodded and opened the door. "My car or yours?"

            "Mine," Jensen mumbled, practically running to his truck.

            "Slow down there," Jared yelled after him.

            Jensen turned on his car and waited for Jared to climb in. Jared smiled at him, buckling his seat belt, and turning up the volume a little bit on the radio.

            "I know how much you like quiet time," he said with a shrug when Jensen gave him a puzzled look.

            "'Quiet time?" Jensen asked, putting the car in drive and starting up the drive.

            "You're quiet. You don't need to fill in the spaces in between conversations."

            "It's awkward, I know."

            "Awkward? Nah. I like it."

            "You do?"

            Jared nodded. "I like that you don't mind the silence."

            "Most people get bothered by it."

            "It's whatever. You're a guy of little words."

            "My dad was the same way," Jensen told him. "I think I got it from him."

            "My dad is a talker. He hates when there is silence. He's always making some sort of noise."

            "My mom was like that. She used to hate my dad's silence."

            "Isn't it hard? Being so introverted?"

            "Not really." Jensen goes quiet, trying to think of a way to explain his personality to Jared.  "When it comes to horses I can talk for hours. The only time I am fully comfortable is either when I am teaching a lesson or riding."

            Jared nodded.

            The music is the only sound the fills the cab of the truck as they make their way into town. When they finally get there they get out of the truck and head over to the small movie theater.

            "They only play old movies," Jensen told Jared. "I think the owner has a thing for Hitchcock because there are at least three playing at a time."

            "They're playing 39 Steps," Jared said happily. "Have you ever seen it?"

            Jensen shook his head.

            "That's fantastic. Completely underrated if you ask me. Mind if we see that one?"

            "Nope."

            Jared smiled and grabbed Jensen's hand, dragging him towards where they sell tickets. "I'm paying," he told Jensen. "No fighting."

            Jensen sighed and rolled his eyes, liking the way Jared's hand felt in his. He's not one hundred percent sure if Jared realized he was still holding his hand so he doesn't say anything just in case. When Jared doesn't release hand after he's done paying and they are walking into the lobby of the theater Jensen started to think it was intentional.

            "You want popcorn?" Jared asked him.

            Jensen nodded.

            "Okay cool." Jared released his hand then. "Wait here I'll be right back."

            Jensen watched as Jared walked over to the concession. The guy behind the counter, who had been looking bored before, perked up noticeably when he saw Jared. Even from where Jensen was standing here could tell that the young man was flirting with Jared. Jared just smile politely and paid for the popcorn and two small drinks before moving back over to Jensen.

            "I got you a Coke. Is that okay?"

            "Yeah." Jensen took the drink from Jared and took a sip.

            "You ready to see this movie?" Jared asked, moving towards the theater.

            "I'm ready."

            The movie only turns out to be eighty six minute leaving them plenty of time to make it to their dinner reservations. When they step outside they find that the weather is mild enough of them to walk to the restaurant. They walk for a few minutes before Jared takes Jensen's hand into his again.

            Jensen clears his throat. "Can I ask you something?" Jensen asked quietly.

            "Go right ahead."

            "What is your type?"

            Jared laughed softly. "You really wanna know?"

            Jensen nodded.

            "I like a guy who is a little shorter than me but not so short that I am afraid I'll squish him. Strong, but not like a body builder, but strong enough that lifting something heavy won't cause them problems. And quiet. I don't need the person to be talking all of the time."

            "So...me?" Jensen asked.

            "Yeah," Jared admitted.

            Jensen blushed and looked down at his feet. "Is this a date?"

            Jared laughed. "I was sure hoping it was."

            "I was too. It's, uh, it's my first date."

            "Really?"

            Jensen nodded. "Just another one of the things I never got to do because of the barn."

            "I like that I am your first date."

            "Me too."

            Jared stopped walking and turned to Jensen. "I don't want to rush this," he said moving closer, "because I know this is all new to you."

            "But..."

            "I really want to kiss you. I have since the first time I met you."

            "I..."

            "It's fine," Jared whispered, moving back again. "Like I said: I don't want to rush this."

            Jensen rushed forward and kissed Jared softly on the lips. It was so chaste that it almost couldn't be considered a real first kiss but Jared was still smiling.

            "Thank you," he whispered.

            Jensen blushed. He took Jared's hand and they started walking again.

 

            It's a little weird going home with a date. Usually when you take your date home it means you're going to hook up with them but with Jared and Jensen it was because they lived together. It's a little awkward at first, removing their jackets and shoes together before heading into the living room. Chris and Steve are sitting on the couch drinking a beer.

            "You guys have fun?" Chris asked.

            Jensen nodded.

            "I'm gonna head up to bed," Jared said. He turned to Jensen and smiled. "I had a lot of fun. I'll see you in the morning."

            "Goodnight," Jensen whispered.

            Jared leaned down and kissed Jensen on the cheek. "Goodnight."

            Chris waited for Jared's door to close before jumping up from the couch to pull Jensen into a hug. "Our little boy is growing up."

            "Shut up," Jensen mumbled.

            "So I'm guessing it was a date," Steve said before taking a sip of his beer.

            Jensen nodded.

            "Was he a gentleman?"

            Jensen rolled his eyes. "Yes."

            "Good. I'd hate to have to punch his face."

            "You would never punch him. You like him too much."

            "I'd punch him if he hurt you," Steve said, leaning further back in the couch. "I'd punch anyone who hurt you."

            "That's...really sweet."

            Steve shrugged. "It's whatever."

            Chris laughed and sat back down. "You two are so cute."

            "Shut up," Jensen and Steve snapped.

            "I'm going to bed," Jensen said. "See you guys in the morning."

            "Night," Steve and Chris called over.

            Jensen walked up the stairs and into his room. He pads around for a bit, getting ready for bed, when there is a knock on his door. Walking over to it he opens it to find Jared standing in the hallway.

            "Everything okay?" Jensen whispered.

            Jared leaned forward and gave Jensen a soft kiss on the lips. "Everything is fine now," he whispered. "Goodnight, Jensen."

            Jensen leaned up and kissed Jared again. "Goodnight."

           

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The 39 Steps is my favorite Alfred Hitchcock movie. I liked it so much that I had my family see the play version in London when I was there. The play has five actors and three of them play almost every part (plus scenery). It's really funny and I suggested you check it out.   
> I hate the term bobo. I think its mean to make fun of people who can't afford all of the expensive things that others can. People shouldn't be judged by their tack, but for their riding.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow I suck. I meant to have this done like four days ago but it never happened. I'm gonna try to go back to updating almost everyday and hopefully the next one will be longer.

 

It may seem impossible to avoid someone you work and live with but Jensen was doing one hell of a job. He woke up extra early so that he could feed the horses on his own then disappeared into his office.  When the other three wandered out to start bringing them out he stayed in his office. He did three days of this, hiding and sneaking around his own house in order to avoid Jared.

            It's not that he regretted kissing Jared; it was the exact opposite. The thing is he didn't want to find out that Jared regretted it. Not that he thought he did. Or maybe he did. His head was all messed up seeing as this was his first ever relationship.

            "You're avoiding me," Jared said, sneaking up behind Jensen.

            "Jesus," Jared gasped.

            "Nope, just Jared," he joked.

            "Oh...ha."

            Jared crossed his arms over his chest and stared at Jensen. "Why are you avoiding me Jensen?"

            "I'm not."

            "Yes, you are. You've basically turned yourself into a shadow. What did I do?"

            Jensen could hear Chris and Steve approaching and hoped that the two men would interrupt. Instead they both stopped dead at the sight of Jared and Jensen and turned around in the direction they came.

            "Talk to me," Jared whispered. He moved closer to Jensen, pinning him against the nearest wall. "What did I do wrong?"

            "N-nothing," Jensen stuttered.

            "Come on man. What did I do? I'll..." Jared stepped away from Jensen, turning his back to him. "We can go slower or we..." He ran his hand through his hair. "Or we could stop all together."

            "I..." Jensen stopped and cleared his throat. "I don't want to stop."

            Jared turned back around to look at Jensen. "You don't?"

            Jensen shook his head.

            "Then what's going on Jensen? Why are you avoiding me?"

            "I...I don't know how to do this."

            "Do what?"

            "I don't know how to be in a relationship. I don't know how to react."

            "Well I can tell you that the way you've been acting the past few days is wrong. We're taking this slow. I wanna get to know you as a person, be your friend, before we go any further."

            Jensen took a step forward and placed his hand on Jared's cheek. "I'd like that," he whispered. "But..."

            "But what?"

            "I'd also like to kiss you."

            Jared laughed softly before dipping his head down to capture Jensen's lips softly. "I'd like that too," he whispered against Jensen's lips.

            "Okay, that's enough now," Steve called into the barn. "Step away from each other."

            Jared backed up, hands in front of him in a submissive manner. "Sorry," he called out. "I'll just keep my hands to myself."

            "Good," Steve said as he stepped into the barn. "Now I don't know about you two but I think we've got some barn chores to do."

            Jensen turned to glare at his friend. "You don't tell me what to do. I tell YOU what to do."

            "You're right. Now Jensen, what is it that we have to do?"

            "We've got barn chores to do."

            "My thoughts exactly."

            Jensen shook his head at his friend before moving forward to kiss Jared again. "Now we can do our chores."

            "Sir yes, sir," Chris muttered with a chuckle.

 

 

            Jared wouldn't leave Jensen's side now that he knew everything was okay. The older man hovered as Jensen taught his lessons, watching with the wonder of someone who had never seen him teach before. After his students left Jared pressed himself against Jensen's side.

            "You're beautiful when you teach," he whispered into Jensen's ear.

            "There is nothing beautiful about my teaching."

            Jared spins Jensen around so that he was facing him. "It's absolutely beautiful," he argued. "You're a natural."

            Jensen rolled his eyes. "It's nothing," he mumbled.

            Jared took a step back away from Jensen. "Every man is allowed their own opinion."

            Jensen moved towards Jared. "I think you're beautiful all the time."

            This time Jared rolled his eyes. "You're extremely cheesy."

            "It's true though. You're absolutely stunning. I've never seen someone hold themselves the way you do. I bet you were beautiful when on a horse."

            Jared shrugged. "I was all right. People used to tell me that I was too tall and lanky to do Dressage."

            "I guess you proved them wrong."

            Jared took Jensen's hand and lead him into the office. He sat down on the couch that was pushed up against the wall and pulled Jensen down with him. After a few seconds of awkwardness Jared pulled Jensen against him chest.

            "I almost quit riding when I was fourteen and hit my growth spurt," Jared admitted.

            "Why?"

            "My former trainer told me that I wasn't going to get anywhere because of my height. He stopped having lessons with me and when I'd come out to ride my horse he basically told me I wasn't welcome on his property anymore."

            "He said all of this to you when you were fourteen?"

            Jared nodded. "I was a bread winner for him until I started growing. I looked foolish on a horse because of my long limbs."

            "How'd you improve?"

            "My mom took my horse out of that barn and helped me find a new trainer. Carol was amazing. She helped me shape myself in a way that I didn't look so awkward on my horse. She basically molded me into the person I am today."

            "I quit riding after my mother died. I haven't competed since I was fifteen."

            "Do you miss it?"

            Jensen nodded his head. "I loved jumping. There is nothing like it really. It's like you're flying."

            "Why don't you start again?"

            Jensen snuggled closer to Jared and closed his eyes. "I feel too old," he admitted. "Plus I'd hate to do that to my girls. I want to keep all of my attention on them when they are showing."

            Jared kissed Jensen on the top of his head. "You always put people before yourself."

            "Sometimes. The girls are important to me. So are Chris and Steve."

            "What about me?" Jared asked softly.

            Jensen turned to look at Jared. "You're pretty damn important too."

            A wide smile crossed Jared's face. "You're pretty damn important to me too."

            Jared began carding his fingers through Jensen's hair, soothing him into a light slumber. When Jensen woke up again Jared was gone and he could hear the sounds of horses being lead into the barn. Feeling a little disoriented Jensen realized that Jared had laid him down on the couch, the old Jumper Champion blanket that he had was thrown over him to keep him warm. Throwing off the blanket Jensen got to his feet and stretched his arms over his head before wandered out into the barn.

            "Morning sleeping beauty," Steve called out from Sasha's stall.

            "You guys let me sleep?"

            "You look tired," Jared said as he passed with Gigi. "Thought you could use a few minutes of sleep."

            "How long was I out?"

            "Two hours."

            "Seriously?"

            Steve walked over and clapped Jensen on the shoulder. "You've been looking a bit pale recently. What with the early mornings you had been logging earlier in the week we thought you must of been sleep deprived so when Jared told us you fell asleep in the office we all decided to let you sleep."

            "You didn't have to do that."

            Steve shrugged and moved passed Jensen. "We've got this. Go into the house and start up dinner."

            "You sure?"

            "Yeah, we're sure."

            Jensen stood still for a moment until Jared came over to stand next to him. "You're pretty damn important to them too," he whispered.

            A smile tugged at Jensen's lips. "Yeah, I know."

 

 

            "Damn it Rebecca," Jared yelled. "What did I just tell you?"

            Jensen saw the younger girl cross her arms over her chest. She glared to Jared, her sever face pinched up in displeasure.

            "To stop pestering you about the farm owner," she said. "But I wasn't PESTERING, I was just wondering if you were dating him."

            "It's none of your business," Jared said for what probably was the hundredth time. "Now finish tacking up your horse."

            "Just tell me if you're and I'll leave you alone."

            "Why does to matter to you?"

            "Because mom said she saw you two flirting. She's concerned that your head is clouded with your feelings for him and you won't be teaching me to your fullest standard."

            "Did your mother ask you to spy on me?"

            Rebecca sighed and shook her head. "I was eavesdropping on a conversation she was having with my father. I just wanted to know because..."

            "Because?"

            "I don't want to lose you as a trainer," Rebecca admitted. "I like working with you and because of you I've come so far. I'd hate to lose you."

            "We're not dating," Jared told her. "We're just friends."

            Rebecca nodded her head primly before turning back to Gigi to finish grooming the horse.

            Jensen moved back into his office and sat down on the couch. Pulling the blanket off the back of the couch, Jensen wrapped himself up in it. He felt so damn cold all of a sudden. His whole body felt like it had been doused with cold water. The past few days he'd been feeling not so hot and hearing Jared say that they weren't dating made him feel worse.

            In reality Jensen knew it was a matter of time before Jared gave up. He can't picture it being easy trying to date Jensen. It's been a month since the Dodge's moved their horses into the farm and Jared and Jensen's relationship hasn't moved passed where it was. Sure they kissed occasionally, but that was it. They both still slept alone.

            Jensen pulled his legs underneath him and collapsed onto the couch. He was shivering, his teeth chattering with every violent vibration.

            "Jensen?" Steve called out. "You in your office?"

            Jensen didn't have the voice to answer.

            "There you are," Steve said as he stepped into the room. When he saw Jensen curled up on the couch in a tight ball the older man rushed forward and dropped to his knees. "What's wrong?"

            "N-n-not f-f-f-f-feeling well," Jensen mumbled.

            Steve lifted his hand and placed it on Jensen's forehead. "You're burning up. How long have you been feeling like this?"

            "F-f-few days," Jensen admitted.

            "You're sick." Steve slumped back, sitting on his heels. After a second of thinking he shot to his feet. "I'm going to go get Jared. He can carry you into the house."

            Jensen shook his head violently. "No," he protested.

            "What? Why not?"

            "H-he has a lesson."

            "So? You're his boyfriend and you're sick. He'll want to take care of you."

            "He's not my boyfriend. We're just f-f-friends."

            "Since when?" Steve shook his head. "We'll deal with that later. I'm going to go get Jared."

            "Steve, please," Jensen tried to protest weakly. "I'm fine."

            Steve laughed. "That's not going to work on me Jensen. I've known you too long to know that 'I'm fine' is a lie. Now shut up and let me get Jared."

            Jensen shook his head weakly before collapsing into the back of the couch, giving up all fight. He felt too sick to fight.

            "Hey," Jared whispered, dropping down to kneel in front of Jensen. "Steve tells me you're not feeling well."

            "I'm fine," Jensen mumbled.

            Jared placed his hand on Jensen's forehead. "You're burning up," he said. "I'm gonna bring you to bed."

            "Don't worry about it, man. I'll get myself there."

            "Jensen..."

            Jensen tried to push to his feet but collapsed back down when a wave of dizziness hit him.

            "Yeah, you're not going anywhere on your own."

            Before Jensen could fully protest, Jared picked him up and carried him bridal style out of the barn. With Steve hot on their tail they got into the house and upstairs to Jensen's room before he could even get his bearings fully. Carefully he was placed on his bed with his blankets pulled up to his chest.

            "This is unnecessary," Jensen mumbled.

            "Just get some rest," Jared whispered, placing a kiss to Jensen's forward. "I'll come back and check on you in a little while."

            Too exhausted to fight Jensen got himself situated in bed. Almost immediately his eyes began to droop and he fell asleep.

            When he wakes up what he assumes is a few hours later Jared is laying next to him. The older man had a stuffed horse resting on his stomach, playing with the legs and muttering softly to himself. Jensen turned to his side and peered up at Jared.

            "What are you doing?" Jensen whispered.

            Jared jumped a little. Turning his head he looked at Jensen and smiled. "Happy Valentine's day," he whispered, passing the horse to Jensen.         

            "Valentine's day?"

            Jared nodded. "It's February fourteenth. I can't say I had a full night planned but I had been planning on taking you to dinner. Since we can't do that I went out and got you that bear."

            "I...you said we weren't dating."

            "What?"

            Jensen pulled the stuffed horse closer to him, cuddling it close to him. "I overheard you telling Rebecca earlier that we aren't dating."

            "You overheard that?" Jared asked.

            Jensen nodded. "It's fine if we're not," Jensen whispered into the bears head. "I understand."

            "No," Jared whispered. "I lied."

            "What?"

            Jared moved closer to Jensen. "Rebecca is like you; she's been home school since she was ten and because of that  she doesn't have many friends and the ones that she does she had to leave in Florida. Right now I am Rebecca's only friend right now and if her mother fired me then she would have no one. Unfortunately that means that I have to pretend to not be dating you."

            "But...but you still want to date me?"

            "Of course. I've loved this past month."

            "I just thought..."

            "What? What did you think?"

            "I just thought you got bored of me."

            "I could never get bored of you. You're too much fun."

            Jensen moved closer and put his head on Jared's shoulder. "Is that the only reason you want to date me?"

            "Of course not. You're interesting and funny and not to mention extremely cute."

            "I didn't get you anything," Jensen admitted.

            "It's fine," Jared told him. "You didn't even know what day it was. I can't really except you to remember to get me something."

            "I'll just go out and get you something," Jensen said trying to get up out of bed.

            "Don't you even think about getting out of this bed," Jared scolded, lightly pushing Jensen back down onto the bed.

            "Jared, I'm fine."

            "You're sick. And sick people have to stay in bed until they are better."

            "But..."

            Jared looked down at the covers. "Steve told me how your mom died."

            Jensen's head snapped up. "What?"

            "She had pneumonia, right?"

            "Yeah, so?"

            "If you're sick then you could end up with pneumonia. If you end up with pneumonia..."

            "You're afraid that I am going to die?"         

            Jared looked away.

            "First off: I have a cold. Secondly: I'm pretty sure that's not how you get pneumonia. I'll be fine."

            Jensen tried to get out of the bed but fell over when dizziness washed over him. Jared was at his side in seconds; slowly helping him lay back down on the bed again.

            "Still think you're perfectly fine?" Jared asked.

            "No," Jensen muttered.

            "You going to stay in bed until I think you're feeling better?"

            "Yes."

            "Good," Jared said. He leaned down and kissed Jensen on the forehead. "Now go back to sleep."

            "Jared?" Jensen whispered after getting himself comfortable again.

            "Yeah?"

            "Will you stay?"

            Jared moved closer to Jensen. The older man threw an arm around Jensen's waist and pulled him against his back.

            "Of course."

            With a smile on his face Jensen cuddled his new stuffed horse close to his chest and fell asleep.

 

 

            When Jensen's momma was alive she used to spoil him rotten whenever he was sick. She would stay at his side all day just to make sure he never got lonely. After she passed Jensen made it a point to never get sick because it just brought back bad memories on top of being just plain sucky.

            Jared brought back the memories in a good way. He cuddled Jensen as he laid in bed and whispered to him. He told Jensen about the first time he got to purchase his first horse and about the first time he ever competed. He brought Jensen O.J when he was certain he could stomach it and chicken brother after that. They watched movies and complained about each other's picks. Jared only left him to help out with barn chores before diving back into bed.

            "Has my fever gone down?" Jensen asked when Jared climbed back into bed.

            Jared placed his hand on Jensen's forehead. "Still hot," he told him.

            "Really? Cause I feel fine."

            "You're a terrible liar," Jared said.

            "I ain't lying."

            "Whatever."

            They lapsed into silence. Eventually Jared pulled Jensen close to him and buried his face in Jensen's neck.

            "I ever tell you about the time I had the flu?" Jared asked against Jensen's neck.

            Jensen shook his head.

            Jared laughed, his breath tickling Jensen's heated skin. "I was at a horse show in South Carolina. My mom had been sick the week before and when I didn't show any signs of being sick they thought it would be okay to bring me up. I was in the middle of my first test when I vomited all over me and my horse."

            "Seriously?"

            Jared nodded. "It was the most disgusting thing ever. I spent the rest of the week huddled in a hotel bed being told by my mother how upset she was that I didn't get to finish."

            "She was upset you didn't finish?"

            "It was right after I switched trainers. She thought we were gonna have to switch again. She was upset because she knew how well I worked with her and she didn't want to see me lose that."

            "My mom used to cuddle me. It always made me feel better to have her there with me."

            "My mom isn't very tactful. She's loving and caring but she doesn't like to show it as much."

            "I used to spend days like this with her."

            Jared kissed Jensen on the neck.

            "Thank you," he whispered.

            "For what?"

            "For making me feel better. Spending today like this reminded me of my mother."

            "You're welcome," Jared whispered.

           

 

            Jensen spent four days in bed before Jared was comfortable enough to let him get up. Too bad Jared wasn't comfortable enough to let Jensen help with the barn chores. Instead Jensen spent most of his days in his office working on paper work. The only time he got to be up and moving around was when he had a lesson.

            Right now he is staring down three of his Junior riders. Today he had a group lesson with his three best rider, Hillary, Julie, and Kelly. All three girls have their arms crossed over their chests and giving Jensen the same evil glare.

            "Why not?" Hillary asked again.

            "Because," Jensen said.

            "Seriously?" Julie sighed, hands moving to her waist.

            "Maybe next year," Jensen offered.

            "But you keep telling us that we are good enough to go to HITS. So why can't we go to HITS this year?" Kelly asked.

            "Because its already started and I don't want to drive all the way down to Florida only to find out that you three can't compete."

            "We can compete," Julie told him. "We looked it up."

            "Girl..."

            "Come on Jensen. It'll be fun."

            "And it will be just as much fun next year. Trust me waiting a year will ensure that you guys will be better. Besides I don't want you to get all the way down to HITS and be disappointed when you don't do well."

            "So now you're saying we won't do well?" Hillary asked.

            "You know you three are my top riders. And you know that you do well in the local shows. But HITS isn't a local show. HITS is a A level show with the top rider."

            "What about WEF? Can we do that one?" Kelly asked.

            Jensen walked over. "Next year," he said. "I promise you guys we can go next year."

            Kelly, Hillary, and Julie all looked at each other then back at Jensen.

            "You promise?" Julie asked.

            "I promise."

            "Fine," Hillary sighed.

            "Okay. Now that we have that settled will you three please get on your horses so we can get this lesson started."

            The three girls nodded their heads and rushed to finish tacking up their horses.

            After working them on the flat, which included dropping their stirrups to Kelly's dismay, Jensen called the three girls into the middle.

            "Call out a course," he told them.

            The three girls sat on their horses and stared at the jumps that were set up. Julie moved Dreamer closer to Kelly and Hillary's horses, Spot and Rocket, and began coming up with a course they all liked.

            "Green outside to the blue inside roll back to the wishing well to the yellow in and out to the purple outside," Kelly announced.

            "Okay. How many strides?"

            Kelly's brow furrowed. "Seven for the green, six for the blue, two for the in and out and seven for the purple?"

            "Good. Hillary I want you to push Rocket for horse strides instead of pony."

            Hillary nodded.

            "What about me?" Julie asked.

            "Eight for the green, seven for the blue, three for the in and out and eight for the purple."

            "You want me to pull her back?"

            "Dreamer needs to slow down a bit. Get her to do the pony strides for now then we can work her back to the horse strides. I also want you to leave the roll back out."

            "Why?"

            "She'll take it too quickly and you'll lose your count for the in and out."

            "Fine," Julie said with a pout.

            "Okay. Who wants to go first?"

            The three girls looked at each other. After a silent battle Julie sighed and kicked Spot forward. She trotted out of the middle then picked up the canter.

            "Ready?" Jensen called out.

            Julie nodded and pointed Dreamer to the first jump.

            "Call it out," Jensen told her.

            "Three, two, one," Julie yelled as she approached the jump. On one she soared over the fence.

            "One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight," Jensen, Kelly and Hillary all chanted out as she moved towards the next jump.

            "Good," Jensen said. "Tighten your reins a bit. Better. Okay now make sure she doesn't take off on you again on the next jump."

            Jensen watched as Julie got the proper striding for each jump. On the last jump she got [left behind](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v249/samirenenatala/pokey_jump3.jpg) and popped out of her seat making the jump look anything but good.

            "That was good," Jensen said as she came back in the middle. "You got left behind on that last jump but other than that it was perfect."

            Julie smiled and left out a puff of air. "She was really pulling on me. Dreamer does not like the pony strides."

            "She'll just have to get used to it. Okay who's next?"

            Kelly went next. Her course went rather well except for the in and out where she took it in one before she could slow Spot down. After she was done Hillary went and did a perfect course.

            "How do you feel doing the horse strides?" Jensen asked her.         

            "He feels faster. Does he look faster?"

            "He looks better at the horse strides," Kelly told her. "Before he looked really slow. Now he's tucking properly."

            "He wasn't tucking before?"

            "He wasn't tucking on all the jumps. I think moving him forward and bring him up to the three feet is working for him," Jensen said.

            "He sure is huffing. Aren't you boy?" Hillary gave Rocket an affectionate pat on the shoulder.

            "You guys want to go again?" All three nodded their heads. "Okay go in the opposite order you did the first time."

            Hillary sighed. "But I just went," she whined.

            "And now you're going again. Come on, move your butt."

            After another successful go for each girl Jensen decided to end the lesson. With smiles on their faces from plenty of praise from Jensen the three girls lead their horses out of the indoor and into the barn.

            "When do you guys want to have your next lesson?" Jensen asked as he watched them untack.

            "I think same time next week," Kelly suggested.

            "I'm cool with that," Hillary called out.

            "Me too," Julie said.

            "Sounds good to me. Now Kelly when is the next time you're coming out?"

            "Tomorrow. Mom said I missed too much when you were sick."

            "Cool. Hillary, Julie, do either of you want private lessons?"

            "Can I get one on Tuesday?" Julie asked.

            "Jumper or hunter?"

            "Jumper."

            "That'll work. How about you Hillary?"

            "I think I'll wait till next week."

            "I can deal with that."

            The sound of someone walking into the barn drew their attention. Standing in the doorway was Rebecca. The young girls face fell as she looked at everyone before she turned to Jensen and hurried over to him.

            "Where is Jared?" She whispered.

            "He's in the house. I'm sure he'll be right out," Jensen told her.

            Rebecca nodded, stealing glances at the other girls. "Are they leaving soon?"

            "Yeah. Are you okay?"

            Rebecca sent Jensen a dirty look and went to her full height. "I'm fine," she snapped. "I just wanted to make sure I wouldn't be interrupted by them."

            "I can hear you," Kelly said as she walked past.

            "Whatever," Rebecca mumbled. "Never did understand hunters. Just plain lazy if you ask me.  
            Kelly stopped walking. "What was that?"

            "You guys are lazy," Rebecca said. "There is no real work that goes into jumping. Dressage on the other hand is hard."

            "Rebecca Marie Dodge," Jared yelled, stomping his way over to them. "Apologize right now."

            "Why would I do that?"

            "Because you are being extremely rude."

            "So?"

            "So? So?" Jared's chest puffed out as he tried to hold in his anger. "Go into the indoor and run ten laps."

            "What?"

            "You heard me. But first apologize to everyone."

            Rebecca looked around at the five people in the room before deflating. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

            "What was that? I couldn't hear you," Jared said.

            "I'm sorry," she said louder this time.

            "Good. Now go run your laps.  
            "You make her run laps in tall boots?" Jensen asked once Rebecca was out of sight.

            "I do when she's being a brat," Jared muttered.

            "I'm not lazy," Kelly said.

            "No, you're not. You also have more guts than I ever will because I could never jump a horse. I'm sorry she said that to you," Jared said.

            "I don't even know that I did," Kelly whispered.

            "You didn't do anything. Rebecca just doesn't know how to handle new people."

            "Go finish with Dreamer," Jensen said, giving her a pat on the shoulder.

            Jared intertwined his fingers with Jensen's and moved him over to the side.

            "She's usually not this mean," he told him.

            "This is the first time she's been here with other people. I'm just a little sad it didn't go well."

            "She'll get used to it."

            Jensen looked over at the three girls who were finishing up grooming their horses. "I think we should do a get together."

            "Huh?"

            "I full barn party. So that the girls can get to know each other."

            "Seriously?"

            Jensen nodded. "I did it when I took over the barn last year. Those three girls were the only ones I ever taught and they weren't friends with each other."

            "And now?"

            "And now their friends. Kelly, Hillary and Julie are three great girls and I think they could be a really good influence on Rebecca."

            "Frances might not like it."

            "Why?"

            "She'll think they're distracting her."

            "Those three girls are my most hard working. They won't distract her. If anything they will ensure that she is here more often."

            Jared nodded. "Okay," he conceded. "When do you want to have this party?"

            "Friday," Hillary, Kelly and Julie said from behind them.

            The two men jumped apart. Jensen stuck his hands in his pockets while Jared ran one through his hair.

            "We'll have it Friday," Hillary told them.

            "Girl, about what you saw. Jared and I..."

            "Are dating? We know," Julie said. "And you're really adorable by the way."

            "We're not..."

            "Yes you are," Kelly said.

            Jensen looked at Jared and sighed. "Fine, we are. But you can't tell anyone."

            "Why not?" Hillary asked.

            "Because not everyone would be happy to hear about it," Jensen told them.

            "Is it because you're gay?" Julie asked. "Because I am totally cool with it."

            "Me too," Kelly and Hillary agreed.

            "My boss doesn't like me being in relationships," Jared told them.

            The three girls frowned.

            "Well that's bullshit."

            "Kelly!" Jensen gasped. "No swearing."

            "Well it is," she muttered.

            Julie and Hillary giggled.

            "Don't encourage her," Jensen muttered.

            "Promise you won't tell anyone?" Jared asked.

            The three girls looked at each other then back at the men.

            "Only if Jensen promises to bring cake to the party," Hillary said.

            "What happened to the diet all three of you decided to go on to stay in shape?" Jensen asked.

            Julie shrugged. "Cake is better. Besides, we're already in shape."

            "Fine, I'll bring cake."

            "Awesome," the three of them chorused.

            Jensen rolled his eyes. "You three done?"

            They nodded.

            "Okay, I'll see you guys later. What time you gonna be here tomorrow Kelly?"

            "Four. I've got to stay after school for a bit but I'll be right out afterwards."

            "That's fine. Have a good night."

            "Night Jensen," they yelled over their shoulders as they left the barn.

            "How are you so good with them?" Jared asked.

            Jensen shrugged. "I've known them since they were six. I have taught them since they were twelve. We've built up quite a relationship."

            "How old are they?"

            "Kelly and Hillary are sixteen and Julie is seventeen."

            Jared nodded. "Hope they get along with Rebecca."

            "Me too."


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that this is a) really, really late. I kept meaning to write a new chapter but every time I sat down to write something nothing came to mind. I promise that I'm not giving up on it I just need to be in the right mind to write it. b) that it is so incredibly short. I'm trying my best guys. Hope you still enjoy it.  
> The spacing and such got messed up when it was being moved over so I'm sorry that it looked a little rough.

            

The first time Jensen sees Jared on a horse is the day of the party. Jared had been in the middle of a lesson with Rebecca when she got frustrated and refused to keep going. After several minutes of fighting, and Rebecca admitting that she didn't think Gigi could even do what Jared was asking, the older man told her to dismount so that he could get on.

            In the saddle Jared sat tall. His broad shoulders were held perfectly squared; legs stretching down into the stirrups in a perfect line. With little movement he moved the mare forward and into a canter. Jensen couldn't even detect any sort of command as he asked the horse to Counter Canter.

            Jensen could hear Rebecca sigh heavily as she watched Jared. He wasn't sure if she was frustrated with his ability to get the horse to do something she couldn't or if she enjoyed watching him ride. Slowly the girl moved closer to Jensen; uncrossing her arms and sighing again.

            "He's beautiful, isn't he?" She whispered.

            Jensen just nodded, unable to express any words.

            Jared was more than beautiful though. The older man was a wonder in the saddle. He wore no helmet so his long hair breezed through the air as he moved the horse forward. There was a smile on his face; his dimples peaking out. There was a contentment to him that made something in Jensen's belly squeeze.

            "There," Jared said as he moved Gigi back over to them. "Told you she could do it."

            "I know. I just wanted to see you ride again."

            Jared frowned and slid out of the saddle. "Rebecca..."

            "I know, I know. But you're just so..."

            "Beautiful," Jensen said before he could stop himself.

            Jared turned to Jensen with a small smile tugging at his lips. "Thanks," he said, passing Gigi's reins to Rebecca. "Get back up there and do it this time."

            Rebecca nodded and lead Gigi over to the mounting block. When he back was turned Jensen leaned up on his tip toes and kissed Jared lightly on the cheek.

            "What was that for?" Jared whispered, lacing his fingers with Jensen's.

            "You're absolutely stunning when you are on a horse," Jensen told him. "Thank you for letting me see."

            Jared shrugged. He squeezed Jensen's hand before releasing it. "It's no big deal."

            Jensen nodded. "I'll talk to you later."

            With Rebecca's back still turned Jared pulled Jensen close to him and kissed his lips. "Yeah," he whispered. "I'll talk to you later."

            The party was going really well. Hillary, Julie and Kelly have managed to get Rebecca to talk to them. They've got her sitting with them on the mounting block, bottle of Sprite sitting near them so that they don't have to move away. The lesson girls, the boarders and their families are milling around and talking to each other. Jared's being monopolized by Frances Dodge while Jensen stands nursing a beer with Chris and Steve.

            "How old is that Becky?" Chris asked.

            "Stop staring," Steve said, bumping him.

            "She's in her early twenties," Jensen told him. "But she's dating that guy over there."

            "Hey guys," Jane said coming over holding three beers. "Thought you guys would want to have a new beer."

            "Thanks Jane," the three guys chorused.

            Jane smiled and tipped her red cup. "It's no problem."

            Chris moved closer to her and smiled. "How've you been Jane?"

            Jane shrugged her shoulders. "I've been all right. Been swamped at work making it impossible to see Jasper. I was hoping though that I could pick up a lesson on Tuesday."

            "Tuesday's open. I've got a lesson with the girls at three but I can fit you in either earlier or later. Which do you prefer?"

            "Is one okay?"

            "One's good." 

            Jane smiled wide. "Cool. Now, what's the deal with you and that trainer?"

            Jensen ducked his head and scratched the back of his neck. "Nothing," he mumbled. "We're friends."

            "Sure," she sing songed.

            "Why is everyone so interested in my love life?"

            "Or lack thereof," Steve mumbled.

            "Look, we're just friends. That's it."

            Chris rounded on Jensen. "Just friends? What do you mean just friends?"

            "Chris..."

            "Is he playing you?"

            "Chris..."

            "No man, he's right," Steve said moving to stand next to Chris. "If he's playing you, I'm going to..."

            "Going to what? What are you going to do?"

            "I'll beat the shit out of him. No one gets to hurt you and get away with it."

            "Will you two calm down?" Jensen hissed. "We're dating, okay? We're together."

            "Then why..."

            "Because Frances doesn't like me dating," Jared said as he came over. "She doesn't like the idea of me getting distracted."

            "So you're going to pretend like you're not dating Jensen to make Frances happy?" Chris asked. "You're keeping him a secret?"

            "No," Jared hissed. "No."

            "Jared..."

            "No," Jared said, louder. "I am not keeping him a secret."

            "Jared!"

            The five people turned to look at Frances. The older woman was standing a few feet away from them, arms crossed over her chest and a pissed off look on her face. She moved closer, coming to stand right next to Jared.

            "What is going on here?" She asked Jared.

            "Nothing," he whispered.

            "Doesn't sound like nothing. Did I hear that you are dating this young man? The owner of this farm?"

            Jared looked at Jensen then back at Frances. "Look, Frances..."

            "Please don't fire him," Rebecca said from behind them.

            "What?"

            "Please don't fire Jared," she said again. "I like him. He's really, really good and I think that if you fire him I'll never get to where I need to be."

            "Fire him? Why would I fire him?"

            "I thought..."

            "As long as you two don't let your relationship get in the way of teaching my daughter..."

            Jared ran forward and pulled Frances into a hug. "Thank you," he said.

            "You're welcome."

            "Wait does that mean we don't have to keep the secret any longer?" Kelly asked.

            Jensen nodded.

            "Thank goodness," Hillary sighed. "I'm awful with secrets."

            Jared came over to stand next to Jensen. He placed his arm around his waist and pulled him close. "Yeah," he whispered, "me too."

            Rebecca was pulled back over to the mounting block with Hillary, Kelly, and Julie. The four girls would look up from time to time to look at someone and laugh. Chris managed to get Jane alone and was talking to her, arm slung over her shoulder so that he could be closer. Steve ran away some time ago making excuses about how he needed to be somewhere else.

            "Thank you," Frances said softly from where she was standing near Jared and Jensen.

            "For what?" Jensen asked.

            "For this party. I don't think Rebecca would have made friends any other way."

            Jensen shrugged. "Hillary, Julie, and Kelly are good kids. I knew they would be nice to her."

            "Mom!" Rebecca called out, running over to them. "Can I spend the night at Julie's?"

            "You've got a lesson in the morning."

            "So? Julie said that she could drop me off because she wants to see me ride."

            "I don't know..."

            "Please?"

            "We can move her lesson back to the afternoon," Jared said. "That way she can head home first."

            Frances looked from Jared to Rebecca a few times before she sighed. "Okay," she said.

            "Thank you, thank you, thank you," Rebecca said, throwing her arms around her mother's neck.

            "I want you home by ten so that we can be back here by twelve. Got it?"

            Rebecca nodded and ran back over to her friends.

            Frances turned to Jensen and smiled. "Thank you."

               Jared follows Jensen to bed that night. He collapsed onto it then stared up at Jensen with a soft look on his face. The older man watched as Jensen stripped down to his boxers. A word doesn't pass between them as Jensen laid down on the bed. Jared pulls him close against him, burying his face in his neck.

               "Jared..."

              "I just want to lay with you until you fall asleep," Jared whispered into his neck.

               Jensen moved back so that he was closer to Jared. "Why don't you stay?"

               "You want me to?" 

              Jensen nodded.

               Jared detached himself from Jensen and got undressed quickly. He left his under most shirt on with his boxers and crawled back into bed. 

              "This okay?" He asked as he snuggled back against Jensen. 

              "It's perfect." 

              Jensen could feel Jared smiling against his neck.  

              "I'm glad that I don't have to pretend I'm not dating you," he whispered.

               Jensen hummed.  

             "Thank you for what you did." 

              "What?"

              "With Rebecca. Thanks." 

              Jensen shrugged. "I know what it's like. Being isolated from everyone else is really difficult. I didn't have any real friends until Steve and Chris." 

              Jared leaned forward and kissed Jensen's shoulder.

              Snuggled against Jared's chest Jensen felt beyond happy. It was comforting and made him feel safe.

              "Never thought I'd have this," Jensen found himself saying.  

             "Have what?"      

             "This."         

               Jared pushed up so that he could look down at Jensen. "Why do you say that?"  

             "I don't exactly get out much. There was no chance to ever go out and meet anyone."  

             Jared laid back down and pulled Jensen back against him. "Well you've got me now."  

             "And I couldn't be happier."        

       It was raining the next morning, making everything dreary and muddy. Jared let's Jensen sleep in even though it was his turn to spend the morning in bed. By the time Jensen is up Jared is already back in the house frying up some bacon.   

            "Morning," Jensen mumbled.        

        Jared looked up and smiled. "Sleep all right?"   

            Jensen nodded and grabbed a cup and filling it with coffee. "Did you?" 

              "Yeah. Chris and Steve are out getting more groceries. They said they should be back in an hour or so to help with the stalls."

               "Why didn't you wake me?"    

               Jared shrugged and plated the food. Moving over he placed one of the plates in front of Jensen then sat down next to him. They chewed in silence for a little bit; both happy to just fill up their stomachs before a busy day.

              "You looked peaceful," Jared whispered.  

             "Huh?" Jensen grunted around a piece of bacon.  

             "You looked peaceful," he repeated. "I woke up right before the alarm went off and you just looked so peaceful that I didn't have the heart to wake you."   

             Jensen stared at Jared for a few minutes.   

             "What?" Jared asked, squirming in his chair.  

             "It's nothing," Jensen mumbled. He dropped his head and focused on finishing his breakfast.

              "It ain't nothing," Jared said moving closer.

               "My momma used to tell me the same thing," he mumbled. "She would tell me that she would pop her head into my room to wake me and when she saw me sleeping away she didn't want to disturb me so she let me sleep." 

              "That's sweet," Jared whispered. The older man leaned forward and kissed Jensen on the cheek. "I can understand why she did it."

               Jensen shrugged, moving to clean up after himself. Jared got up and followed him to the sink. The older man pressed himself against his back as he scrubbed the plates. He placed his head on Jensen's shoulder.

               "My mom used to wake me up every morning at six a.m.," he whispered. "She told me that any time later would be a waste of my day. We lived on ten acres of land for the majority of my life so we had our horses living on the property and she would send me outside to ride my horse at seven twenty every day. I've never slept later than seven twenty in my whole life."

               "Up until I was able to help out on the farm my momma and daddy let me sleep until whatever time I wanted on the weekends. As long as I got up before the sun went down they were fine." 

              Jared laughed softly, tickling Jensen's skin. "They seem pretty awesome, your parents."

               "They were pretty damn great," Jensen told him. "Wish you could have met them." 

              "They know you were gay?" 

              Jensen nodded. "My dad did. My mom died before I came out."

               "How'd he take it?"

               "Amazingly. There was a moment in time, when I first found out I was gay, where I thought I'd lose my dad. He was a hardnosed country guy who believe in a simple way of life. I thought that my being gay wouldn't fit into that structure but he accepted me for who I am."

               "My dad wouldn't talk to me for a few weeks. They caught me making out with my first boyfriend on the front pouch of our house and he just shut down. I was convinced that he hated me but then he came up to me and told me he loved me no matter what. He just needed to deal with his own issues."

               "How about your mom?"

               "She told me she knew. Mother's intuition or something like that."

               "Might have been your love for wearing tight pants," Jensen joked.

               Jared laughed and spun Jensen around. When his back hit the counter Jensen gasped, grabbing onto it tightly as he looked up at Jared. The older man had a smile on his face and his eyes were sparkling.

               "I think it was that I liked to look at other guys in tight pants," he whispered. He dropped his head and kissed Jensen's neck.

               "I'd like to see you in tight pants," Jensen mumbled as Jared continued to kiss and suck on his neck.

               "I bet," Jared whispered.

               Jensen tugged Jared's head up and captured his lips. The kissed lazily, licking into each other's mouths and tasting. One of Jared's large hands came to rest on Jensen's on the lip of the sink and intertwined them as best as he could while the other wandered the length of Jensen's body; every part that he could reach Jared felt. 

 

Jared pulled back and placed his forehead against Jensen's. They practically panted into each other's mouths for a few minutes before Jared hoisted Jensen up to sit on the lip of the sink. Spreading Jensen's thighs, Jared moved to fit himself in between and started kissing Jensen again. The kisses were more fierce, more passionate, and Jensen found himself having to hold onto Jared in order to keep from tumbling too far down.

               Jared's hands were moving down to the front of Jensen's jeans were the sound of a door opening sent them apart from each other. Somehow in their haste Jensen found himself falling back into the large wash bin like sink.

              "What's going on in here?" Chris asked as he came into the kitchen, handing full with grocery bags.

               "Why are you in the sink?" Steve asked as he followed behind.

               Jensen scratched the back of his neck. "Nothing," he muttered as he tried to extract himself from the sink

.               "Doesn't look like nothing," Chris said.

               Jared cleared his throat. "Are there any more bags?" 

              "Few more. You mind going out to get them?"

               Jared grunted and fled from the house.

               Chris and Steve looked at each other for a brief moment before they both burst into laughter.

               "It ain't funny," Jensen mumbled when he finally got out of the sink.

               "Yeah it is," Steve said, holding his side as he continued to laugh.

               "You got your ass stuck in the sink. It's pretty damn funny."

               "Whatever," Jensen mumbled as he moved past them.

               Their laughter followed him out the door.

               Jensen found Jared standing in the rain next to the truck. He had his head resting against his hand on the passenger side window. As he got closer he could hear the older man cursing.

               "You okay?" Jensen asked.

               Jared whirled around to look at Jensen. "Fine," he mumbled.

               Jensen moved closer, placing his hands on the front of Jared's wet shirt. "What's wrong?"

               "I promised you I'd go slow," he whispered.

               "You have been going slow."

               "That in there was not slow. If Steve and Chris hadn't walked in I would have..."

               "You would have what?"

               Jared looked away. "Let's just say we wouldn't have been taking it slow anymore."

               "Jared, I..."

               "I know," Jared whispered looking back at him. The older man cupped his face and smiled softly. "I would never rush you into something you weren't ready for. We've only been doing this for a few weeks and I have no intention of doing anything until we're further along in this relationship."

               Jensen nodded.

               "Unless you wanted to..." 

              "I like that we're moving slow," Jensen admitted. "There is still so much that I don't know about you that I feel like we'd be setting ourselves up for failure if we moved too quickly."

               Jared pulled Jensen closer to him. They stood in the rain together until Jensen started to shake from the cold seeping through his shirt.

               "You know," he whispered as Jared moved away from him. "I've never been kissed in the rain before." 

              Jared laughed softly before capturing Jensen's lips in a soft kiss.

               "There," he whispered against his lips, "now you have."

               "Thank you."

               "For what?"

               "For...for being you. You're great and..."

              Jared kissed Jensen again. "You're pretty damn great yourself."

               Rebecca managed to get Jared up on Gigi again. The older man was actually quite pissed off at her as he climbed into the saddle. The whole time that he rode he was grumbling to himself about how he shouldn't be letting a fifteen year old manipulate him the way that she did.

               "You're awfully grumpy today," Rebecca commented from where she was standing next to Jensen and Julie.

               "I'm not grumpy," he called out.

               "Doesn't he seem grumpy?" Rebecca asked Jensen and Julie.

               Julie shrugged.

               "I'd be grumpy too if any of my girls did that to me," Jensen told her.

               Rebecca's mouth dropped open as she turned to look at Jensen.

               "He's right," Julie whispered. "If I ever tried that on Jensen he'd kick me out of my lesson and still make me pay for it."

               "I..."

               "It's fine," Jensen mumbled. "I get it. Working with a new horse is stressful and scary. But sometimes you've got to do it yourself."

               Rebecca looked over at Jared as he moved Gigi into a trot. "He doesn't ride anymore unless I make him get on," she whispered.

               "Why's that?" Julie asked.

               "Because he..."

               A cloud of dust wafted towards them as Jared stopped Gigi right in front of them. "Okay," he said as he dismounted. "Get back on and practice the test I gave you."

              Rebecca looked at Julie and Jensen before moving to grab the reins.

               "Why don't you ride anymore?" Julie asked when Jared came to stand with them.

               "Julie," Jensen snapped.

               "What? I'm just curious."

               Jared looked over at Jensen. "It's nothing," he whispered. "Just don't have the time."

               "But..."

               "Do I trot or canter next?" Rebecca asked, cutting Julie off.

               "Trot A to B then canter B to C," Jared told her. "I thought you studied it?"

               "My fault," Julie whispered. "She was studying it but then I asked her all about it. By the time she was done explaining it we completely forgot." 

              Jared nodded. "It's fine. It's just a practice one anyways."

               "When is her first show?" Jensen asked.

               "Not until April. We're heading back down to Florida so that she can participate in some shows down there."

               "Cool. Wish my trainer would let us go to Florida."

               Jensen rolled his eyes. "Next year," he reminded her.

  
               "Yeah, yeah." 

              As Jensen watched Jared watch Rebecca he couldn't help thinking about Jared's deflection whenever he's asked about why he quit riding. Every time Jensen has tried asking about it the older man brushed it off and changed the subject. At first Jensen was fine with it but the more it happened the more he was convinced Jared was keeping big from him.

            Moving away quietly Jensen headed for his office. He booted up his computer and open Google. Sighing deeply he did something he told himself he was never going to do; he Google Jared's name.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter so that I could get the Jared thing out of the way.

              

                Jensen pushed away from the desk and got to his feet. With shaking hands he exited the web page and made his way out of the office. Jared was standing in the isle way with Rebecca and Julie, discussing something that happened during the lesson.

               "Jared?" Jensen managed to call out. "Can I talk to you?"

               Jared nodded, smile on his face, and followed Jensen back into his office.

               "What's up?" Jared asked, moving closer to Jensen.

               Jensen looked away from Jared. "I, um, I looked you up."

               Jared stopped moving towards Jensen. "You did?"

               "I was trying not to look you up I really was. But Jared..."

               "I would have told you."

               "Would you? I mean I've been asking you about it since we first met and you never said anything."

               Jared nodded. "So instead of waiting you decided to Google me?"

               "You know everything about me Jared. Do you realize that? Everything. But I sometimes can't get the most important things out of you. Like this." 

              "I would have told you," he repeated.

               Jensen moved forward. "I know," he whispered. "But I NEEDED to know now. Not three years down the line."

               Jared sighed heavily. "What did it say?"

               "That you fell off before entering the ring."

               "Is that it?"

               Jensen nodded.

               "It didn't mention the injuries?"

               Jensen shook his head.

               Jared took Jensen's hand and pulled him over to the couch. They sat down and Jared pulled Jensen against him.

               "I'm gonna start at the beginning," he whispered.

               _It's was too quick to really remember. One second he was on his horse getting ready to go into the ring and the next he's waking up in the hospital. His mother tell him that someone spook his horse and he fell off, hitting his head on a large rock that was next to the rock. He's been out for almost two weeks._

_  
               There was a bandage over his left eye that his mother insisted that it was better that the doctor told him why it was there. It just served to freak Jared out more that she refused to tell him. The heart rate monitor jumps the longer he waits for the doctor to finally show up._

_"It's good to see that you are awake," the doctor said when he finally entered the room._

_"Why is my eye bandaged?" Jared asked, voice low, good eye staring daggers._

_"When you fell the bill of your helmet hit into your eyebrow, splitting it open. When you got here your skull was visible. Your eye...may I sit down?"_

_Jared nodded, trying not to lift his hand to touch his face. "And my eye?" he prompted._

_"You fell in a matter that broke the bill of your helmet almost completely. Pieces of the helmet got into your eye, breaking the cornea. A Corneal ulcers occurred and we had to do a corneal transplant."_

_"What does that mean for my sight?"_

_"If everything goes right then nothing. Your eye should heal properly and after a few weeks you'll be able to remove the patch."_

_"And if it doesn't go right?"_

_"You could lose partial sight in your eye. We'd be looking at loss of peripheral vision at best. At worst you could lose sight in your eye completely."_

_"So I could be partially blind?"_

_"I'm afraid so."_

_Jared looked over at his mother. "Mom..."_

_"I know baby," she whispered, moving closer to him._

_The doctor stood and patted Jared on the shoulder. "I am confident that everything will work out."_

_***_

_"We're going to try removing the bandage, okay?" The doctor said as he moved towards Jared._

_Jared nodded his head slowly. Gripping the armrest with all his might he squeezed his eyes shut, waiting for the bandage to be removed. He could feel as the tape was being removed, scrunching his forehead when the tape ripped some of his eyebrow hair off. It hurt more than it properly should have since the stitches were still in._

_"You can open your eyes," the doctor said._

_Jared opened his right eye first. After waiting for it to focus he opened the left one. The first thing he noticed was that the very corner of his eye was blurry. Panicking, he blinked his eyes several times hoping to clear it out. After several minutes he gave up trying to blink it away and began to cry._

_"What's wrong?" His mother asked, rushing forward._

_"It's blurry," he sobbed._

_"What's blurry?"_

_"My eye. I can't see out of the corner of my eye."_

_The doctor moved closer and kneeled in front of Jared. "We knew this might happen. We knew you might lose partial sight. And Jared, I'm happy with this result and so should you. At least you only lost some sight instead of all of it."_

_"But..."_

_"He's right," Jared's mother whispered. "We're lucky."_

_Jared took several deep breaths before nodding. "Okay," he whispered._

__

"Jared..."

               Jared ran his hand up and down Jensen's arm. "It never came back," he whispered.

               "What?"

               "My peripheral vision. It never came back."

               "So you can't see out of the corner of your left eye?"

               Jared nodded. "I can see shapes but they are blurry and unfocused."

               "And you're still allowed to drive?"

               "My vision in still 20/20 somehow. I have no problem passing eye tests so I am allowed to drive. I have more difficulties with normal everyday activities then I do with driving."

               "Why don't you ride anymore?"

               "I ride," he whispered. "I just don't show."

               "Why not?"

               Jared shrugged. "I tried after it happened. I got to the gate and just couldn't convince myself to go in. There was like an invisible barrier between me and the ring. So I just stopped showing. My mother tried to convince me to see a therapist but I knew it was time to just give up. So I did."

               "Do you miss it?"

               "Sometimes. When I see Rebecca show I think that it should be me. I should be the one learning the tests and completing them. But I know that this is for the best. Working with Rebecca makes me so much happier than competing ever did."

               "I'm the same way," Jensen told him. "I loved showing but working with my girls makes me so much happier."

               Jared leaned down and kissed Jensen on the head. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you," he whispered.

               "It's okay. I should have waited. I'm sorry I didn't."

               "I would have done the same thing," Jared confessed. "In all reality I am surprised you didn't do it sooner."

               "I didn't want to cause any problems. Besides, I had faith that you would tell me eventually."

               Jared put his fingers under Jensen's chin and tilted it back so that he could kiss him on the lips. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you right away."

               "No apologizing," Jensen whispered, kissing Jared on the lips. "The only person who should be apologizing is me."

               "How about neither of us apologize? Does that should good?"

               "Sounds good."

               "I want pizza in bed," Jensen informed Jared after throwing the last of flake of hay into a stall. "My whole body feels exhausted."

               "Maybe if you didn't get in the middle of that fight you'd be okay," Jared said, throwing an arm around Jensen's shoulder. "Is everything feeling all right." 

                Jensen nodded. "I think my side is going to have one hell of a bruise but other than that I'll be okay."

               "You sure?"

               "I'm fine," Jensen reassured him, kissing him gently on the cheek.

               "What did you do now?" Steve asked.

               "Dreamer and Sasha were fighting and I got pinned."

               "Jensen..."

               "I'm fine," Jensen said, sinking down into a chair. "I'll have a bruise but I'll be okay."

               The three older men looked down at Jensen. Looking at each other for a moment they all sighed.

               "Fine," Chris said.

               "But if you feel any pain of any kind you tell us. I don't want you to try to hide it. Okay?"

               "Okay daddies," Jensen mumbled.

               Jared stood straighter at Jensen's words.

               "What? You got a daddy kink?" Chris asked.

               "No," Jared mumbled.

               "He's got a daddy kink," Steve confirmed.

               "Shut up," he mumbled, moving to grab the phone so he could call the pizza place.

               Jensen chuckled under his breath. "I'm going to go lay down," he whispered.

               "I'll be up once the pizza gets here," Jared called after him.

               Jensen climbed up the stairs and into his bedroom. Carefully he stripped down to just his boxers and climbed into bed. Groaning softly, he reached over and turned his lamp on and grabbed his book and reading glasses. Flipping through the book he found his page and started writing.

               "Pizza's here," Jared informed him.

               "Really?" Jensen said looking up at Jared.

               "It's been almost an hour," Jared said as he handed him a plate of pizza.

               "I didn't realize I got so caught up," he admitted, taking a bite of his pizza.

               "You wear glasses?"

               Jensen looked over at Jared and nodded. "Have since I was little. Why?"

               Jared moved closer and wiped a bit of sauce off of Jensen's mouth. "It makes you look really hot," he whispered.

               Jensen blushed. "I hate them," he whispered. "I wear contacts so that I don't have to wear them."

               "You should wear them more often."

               "Okay...daddy."

               Jared groaned and flopped back on the bed. "I don't have a daddy kink," he whispered to the ceiling.

               "Whatever you say."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that this chapter was so short...and kind of shitty. I promise the next chapter will be better.


	10. Chapter 10

              

               Jensen woke up in the middle of the night in a lot of pain. His stomach was contracting violently and his breathing was extremely irregular and harsh. At some point during the night Jared had left to sleep in his own room, leaving Jensen all alone with these new symptoms. Every time he moved to get out of bed a new wave of pain rocked through him. He felt like he was dying and he couldn't get anyone to help him.

  
               "Fuck," he gasped, grabbing at his side.

  
               He'd never hurt this badly in his life. None of his injuries working with horses had ever result in something like this before.

  
               A violent scream was ripped out of him when his chest felt like it was being torn in two. He was almost happy that it happened because seconds later Steve, Chris, and Jared came running into his room. The three men tumbled over each other in their haste to get into the room, Steve ending up on the floor from Jared elbowing him out of the way.  
               "Jensen?" Jared dropped down to his kneels next to the bed. "What's wrong?"

  
               "Hurts," he managed to grunt out.

  
               "What hurts?"

  
               "Everything."

  
               "Shit," Chris mumbled, running a hand through his long hair. "He must have hurt something when he was crushed."

  
               Steve got to his and pushed Jared out of the way. Bending down, he lifted Jensen out of the bed and started heading out the door.

  
               "We've gotta get him to the E.R," he said as he took the stairs at a slow, gentle pace so as to not jostle Jensen too much. "He could be bleeding internally."

  
               Jensen wanted to protest but nothing would come out. Instead he groaned and tried to bite back another scream.

  
               "I'll drive," Jared announced as he pulled on a jacket.

  
               "Grab him a blanket," Steve told Chris. "I'm not going to risk trying to get a shirt on him."

  
               Chris darted into the living room and came back out with the throw that usually sat on the back of the couch. With both Jared and Steve's help they managed to get him wrapped up in it. Passing Jensen to Chris, Steve pulled on his jacket, then took Jensen back into his arms so that he could carry him out into the truck.

  
               It took them several minutes to get Jensen up into the truck. Every little groan made the older men stop and ask him if he was okay. Eventually they got Jensen into the truck, back propped against Jared (they decided it made more sense to have Steve drive instead of Jared since he knew where he was going) and Chris in the front.

  
               "Never listening to him again when he says he's fine," Chris said from the front seat.

  
               "We should have just insisted he go the moment we found out," Steve said. His grip on the steering wheel was tight, knuckles white from the pressure.

  
               "I shouldn't have left him," Jared mumbled. He ran his hand through Jensen's hair. "I should have stayed with him."

  
               Steve's released the steering wheel and sighed. "Ain't your fault," he muttered. "He's just too much of a stubborn bastard to ask for help."

  
               "Not stubborn," Jensen slurred.

  
               Jared bent down and placed a kiss on Jensen's forehead. "Yes you are," he whispered.

  
               Jensen groaned, gripping at his abdomen again. He whimpered softly and tried to burying himself deeper into Jared.

  
               "Don't worry," Jared whispered, hand continuing to comb through his hair. "We're almost there."

  
Jensen's vision was starting blur around the edges. Before he knew it his vision went black completely.

  
               Jensen comes to in the ICU. Jared is sitting in a chair next to him, head titled back snoring softly. Although the curtain's are drawn a small ray of sun light pours through the edges leading Jensen to believe he's been out of several hours. He's no longer in pain, instead feeling a pleasant sort of buzz running through his body. That is until he tried to sit up.

               "Shit," Jensen hissed as fell back against his pillow again.

               "Jensen?" Jared slurred, clearing his throat.

               "How long have I been out?" Jensen asked him.

               "About eight hours. You might have woken up earlier but they had to go in and take you Appendix out."

               "My Appendix?"

               "It burst. They're not sure if it happened because of the injury or if it was going to happen before hand."

               "I'm okay though, right?"

               Jared moved closer. "Yeah, you're okay."

               Jensen nodded and settled down again. "How long have you been sitting here with me?"

               "Since you got out of surgery. Steve and Chris went back home to make sure the farm was okay."

               Jensen groaned. "I had lesson's today."

               "I called each of your girls personally to tell them. Julie, Hillary, and Kelly said they are going to come visit you."

               Jensen laughed. "And they are totally going to bring me candy. I'm actually really excited for that."

               Jared laughed with him. Once he calmed down he took Jensen's hand. "I'm sorry I left your room last night. I was afraid that if I moved around too much I'd hurt you more."

               "It's okay," Jensen mumbled. "It would have happened whether or not you were there."

               "Still wish I was still there. How are you feeling right now?"

               "High."

               "That's a good thing, I guess. You tired?"

               Jensen wanted to shake his head but he could actually feel his eyes drooping. "Yeah," he mumbled.

               Jared leaned forward in his chair and grabbed Jensen's hand. "Do you want me to stay?"

               "Yes."

               "Okay." Jared leaned back again, keeping Jensen's hand in his.

               "Thank you."

               Jared gave Jensen's hand a light squeeze. "I'm not leaving you alone until they either kick me out or you leave. Seeing you..." The older man cleared his throat and leaned forward again. "Seeing you in so much pain had me thinking."

               "About what?" Jensen asked, his voice low.

               "About how much I truly like being with you, near you. The idea of you not being around frightened me."

               "Jared..."

               "I need you to promise that you'll let us take you to the doctor after you have an accident on the farm."

               "Jared..."

               "Jensen," Jared sighed, lifting their joined hands to his mouth. "You got lucky. The amount of things that they were looking to see if you had...it was terrifying."

               "Only the big things. I'm not going to let you drag me here for something like a splitter. Got it?"

               Jared sighed and kissed Jensen's hand. "I've got it."

               "Now can I go back to sleep?"

               "Yeah," Jared whispered.

               The sound of laughter woke Jensen next. Peeling his eyes opened he found that three more chairs had been pulled into the room to accommodate Julie, Hillary, and Kelly. The three girls were sitting on the edge of their seats listening to Jared tell a funny story.

               "What are you guys laughing about?" Jensen mumbled.

               Four sets of eyes turned to Jensen.

               "You're awake," Hillary cheered, jumping out of her seat and rushing to Jensen's side. Carefully, she leaned down and hugged him. "When Jared told us you were in the hospital we were so scared."

               "Kelly thought you were going to die."

               "I did not!"

               "She was totally trying to divide your belongings."

               "I was not!"

               "Guys, leave Kelly alone. I don't believe for one second Kelly was doing any of that. Julie on the other hand..."

               "Hey!"

               "I'm just joking," Jensen said with a laugh.

               "So we brought you some things," Hillary said, getting up off the bed.

               "All of your favorite candies," Julie informed him.

               "Oh, and this," Kelly said pulling a stuffed animal horse from behind her.

               "It was her idea," Hillary said, rolling her eyes.

               Kelly stuck her tongue out at Hillary as she got out of her chair. "I thought it was cute."

               "It looks like Sasha," Jensen said, taking the soft stuffed horse from Kelly. "Thank you."

               "Told you he'd like it."

               Jensen smiled, holding the dappled grey stuffed animal close to his chest. "I promise you guys once I'm back on me feet I'll give you a lesson free of charge."

               "You don't have to do that Jensen," Kelly said, sitting back down. "You couldn't help that you got sick."

               "Missing a lesson or two isn't going to ruin us," Hillary told him.

               "I could help out," Jared said from where he sat next to the bed. "I mean, I don't know anything about jumping but I can do some general lesson's. Walk/Trot/Canter is the same in both our disciplines so it wouldn't be hard."

               "I couldn't ask you to do that. You do so much all ready I'd hate to add to your work load."

               "Helping these three with their flat work is not exactly that difficult."

               Jensen sat silently for a second. Having Jared teach some basic lessons until he was back on his feet was actually a really good idea. That way Julie, Kelly, and Hillary wouldn't be missing much and the little kids could get the chance to decide if maybe dressage was a better fit for them. Maybe Jensen could convince Jared to start broadening his cliental.

               "Okay," Jensen finally conceded. "But only if you three promise not to switch disciplines."

               "Jumping's too much fun to want to change," Kelly said, Hillary and Julie nodding along.

               Jensen wiggled a bit until he was sitting up in bed. "So what were you guys laughing about when I first woke up?"

               "Jared was telling us a story about the time he got sick at a big show," Hillary said.

               "You were telling them about the time you puked on your horse?"

               "I don't believe I actually got any puke ON the horse but there was puke everywhere else."

               "Do you have any embarrassing stories like that?" Julie asked Jensen.

               "There was the time I ripped my pants open with my spur after falling off."

               "How'd you manage that?" Jared asked.

               "I lost my balance and kind of just slipped over the side of my horse. Somehow on the way down my spur got caught on my pants and ripped them right down the middle. I had to hold them together while trying not to moon everyone when I walked out of the ring."

               "You dad must have thought that was really funny," Hillary said.

               "He was laughing his ass off. I'm almost positive me fell on the ground at one point from laughing so hard."

               "Your dad had such a infections laugh," Julie whispered. "I can remember laughing all the time just because he was laughing."

               "Remember the time you fell off Dreamer because you were laughing so hard at one of his jokes?" Hillary asked Julie.

               "I just barely missed a pile of poop."

               "Mr. Ackles fell down laughing. He had to use the mounting block to get back up."

               "I never knew that," Jensen whispered. "When did that happen?"

               "It was the weekend you went to go down to buy Sasha."

               "It was a few months before he died."

               Jensen nodded and slumped back on the pillows. He was suddenly extremely tired.

               "You okay?" Jared asked, grabbing his hand.

               Jensen pulled the stuffed horse close to him. "Think I need to sleep some more," he whispered.

               "Okay," Jared said. He stood up and kissed Jensen on the forehead. "Come on girl. I'll walk you down stairs. I'm going to grab a coffee but I'll be right back up."

               "Take your time," Jensen told him.

               "We're glad to see that you are okay," Hillary said, coming over to hug Jensen.

               "Get better soon," Julie added, hugging Jensen too.

               Kelly walked over and hugged Jensen wordlessly before following the other four out of the room.

               Jensen was still sitting awake when Jared came back upstairs. With a small smile on his face Jared came over to sit next to Jensen again.

               "Thought you were going to sleep," Jared whispered, taking Jensen's hand.

               "Wanted to wait till you were back," Jensen mumbled.

               "You don't find it creepy that I've been watching you while you sleep?"

               Jensen shrugged. "Kind of like it. I like that I have someone watching out for me."

               "Well then you will be comforted to know that I plan on sitting right here watching you sleep all night long."

               "Good," Jensen whispered, getting comfortable again. "I wouldn't want it any other way."

               Jensen's doctor was an older man with a graying beard and dyed jet black hair. When he entered the room he did so with an air of self importance. So much so that the nurse rolled her eyes at him and hurriedly ducked out of the room. He snatched up Jensen's chart and opened it with a rather harsh 'click'.

               "I see you're doing better," he said, never looking up at Jensen. "I think we'll slowly remove you off the morphine and get you ready to leave in a day or two."

               "That's it?" Jared asked, his grip getting tighter on Jensen's with how annoyed he was at the doctor. "You're not going to talk to him about what happened or anything?"

               The doctor flipped the chart shut. "It is all self explanatory really," he said placing the chart back in his cradle. "Now if you'll excuse me I have some more important cases to deal with."

               "What a douche bag," Jared mumbled under his breath.

               "He's a middle aged man going through a divorce and a mid life crisis at the same time, I'm surprised he even still works here and isn't on an island somewhere fucking younger women," Jensen said.

               "How do you know that?"

               "That winner of a man is Hillary's father," Jensen informed him. "He left Hillary's mom and her about three months ago because he wanted to 'sow his wild oats'. He doesn't have a decent bone in his body."

               "How could such a sweet girl like Hillary have such a dickwad as a father?"

               "Her mom is an extremely nice woman. She's about twenty years younger than Hillary's father and only married him because she was pregnant. I think they are lucky to be rid of him."

               "I agree with you."

               "There was some good news in there though," Jensen said.

               "Yeah, you get to go home soon."

               "I will miss the morphine though."

               Jared laughed. Leaning forward he kissed Jensen on the lips. "I'm going to take such good care of you when you get home. I won't have to lift a finger."

               "That sounds more like torture than it does anything else."

               "You'll enjoy it. I promise."

               Steve and Chris were there to help take Jensen home. It's the first time he's seem either of them since he entered the hospital a week ago and he's afraid he's done something to upset them. He doesn't say anything though, content to just let them come to him if need be. So the ride home is quiet except for the sound of the radio playing softly.

               Jared helped Jensen upstairs and into bed. Even with all of his protesting Jensen still finds himself cradled in Jared's arms for the ascent up the stairs. Once in his room Jared helped him get comfortable; even going as far as fluffy the younger man's pillows. As soon as the older man is happy that Jensen will be extremely comfortable he places his pain meds down on the night side table and sits down in the chair he had placed in there.

               "You could lay in bed with me," Jensen told him, gripping the stuffed horse Jared got for him on Valentine's day close to his chest.

               "I don't want to accidentally hurt you."

               "You're not going to hurt me. Now come over here and crawl into bed with me."

               Jared sat motionless for a moment. "Fine," he sighed.

               Getting up from the chair, Jared walked around the bed. Carefully, so as to not jostle the bed too much, he climbed in. Jensen smiled and moved back against Jared's chest. With a sharp intake of breath Jared held himself stiffly against Jensen, arms at his side and breathing shallow.

               "I'm not going to break," Jensen whispered. Reaching back he grabbed Jared's arm and put it around his chest. "There. Much better."

               "This seems like a really bad idea," Jared told him. "I move a lot in my sleep and I could hurt you."

               "You're going to be so paranoid that something is going to happen to me that you're probably going to wake up every time you so much as shift. I trust you not to hurt me. So just relax and take a nap with me."

               Jared sighed against Jensen's neck. "Fine," he whispered.

               Jensen smiled and scooted back closer to Jared's chest.

               "Some things bothering you," Jared whispered. "What's wrong?"

               "Are Chris and Steve mad at me?"

               "Why would they be mad at you?"

               "I don't know. The whole time I was in the hospital they never came to see me and today they wouldn't even look at me. I can't help but feel like they're mad at me."

               "They're not mad," Jared whispered, kissing the back of Jensen's neck. "They were busy with the barn while you were in the hospital."

               "I know it's just...never mind."

               "Jensen..."

               "Never mind," he repeated. "It's fine. They've been busy and were probably just tired earlier."

               Jared pressed another light kiss to the back of Jensen's neck. "Go to sleep," he whispered. "We can talk about this later."

               "Yeah, okay."

              

            Jared had gotten up to help Chris bring the horses in a few hours later leaving Jensen alone in his room. The thoughts of Steve and Chris being mad at him floated back into his brain the longer he sat by himself. Hearing Steve moving around downstairs, he decided that he was going to get the answers that he wanted.

            Getting out of bed was a lot more painful they he thought it was going to be. His stitches pulled slightly and a searing pain shot through his body. Gritting his teeth he hauled himself out of bed and down the hallway. The stairs proved to be a more difficult challenge. He had to take them one at a time, his hand gripping the hand rail so tight that his knuckles were pale.

            "What the hell do you think you're doing?" Steve asked when Jensen entered the kitchen. "You're supposed to be in bed."

            "I needed to talk to you," Jensen panted.

            "Why was so damn important that you risked ripping your stitches out?"

            "I'm sorry," Jensen shouted. "I'm sorry for being a dumb ass. I'm sorry for making you worry about me because I refuse to let you take care of me. I get that you probably hate me for being a stubborn prick but Steve I can't lose you. I'll do anything to make this better. What do I have to do to get you to stop hating me?"

            Steve shot forward and pulled Jensen into a bone crushing hug. "Shut up," he whispered into the younger mans ear. "I don't hate you. I could never hate you. I was just so scared Jensen. I was so damn scared that I was going to lose you that I couldn't bring myself to come see you."

            "Earlier in the car..."

            "I got in a fight with Chris on the way over. I was being a stubborn asshole and he yelled at me for it. None of it was directed at you."

            "Thank God," Jensen sighed.

            Steve let go of Jensen. "You should sit down," he said, helping Jensen over to a chair. He sat down next to him. "You've got to cut the macho shit. If you're injured then you go to the hospital. If you think you might be injured then you go to the hospital. The amount of shit that you could have died from is shocking."

            "I all ready promised Jared that I'd start getting looked at if I get hurt badly."

            "Good. You hungry?"

            "I could eat."

            Steve smiled and patted Jensen on the shoulder lightly. "Sit tight and while make you something to eat."

            The back door banged open and Jensen could hear Chris and Jared talking. Hunching down in his seat Jensen tried to make it look like he wasn't in the kitchen.

            "What's for...what the hell are you doing out of bed?" Jared asked, coming to kneel in front of Jensen. Lifting up his shirt, his hands hovered over where the gauze covered his stitches. "You could have hurt yourself. What were you thinking?"

            "I needed to talk to Steve," Jensen mumbled.

            "He's fine," Steve reassured him, patting Jared on the shoulder as he placed a bowl of soup in front of Jensen.

            Jared looked between the two of them before sighing. He sat back on his heels and looked up at Jensen. "Everything good with you two now?"

            "Everything is good."

            Chris came over to sit next to Jensen. "Look man..."

            "It's fine," Jensen whispered. "I get it."

            "Really?"

            "If it had been you or Steve in the hospital I would have been the same way."

            Chris nodded.

            Jensen picked up his spoon and started eating the soup. The kitchen was quiet, the only sounds were Jensen's spoon scraping against the bowl and Steve stirring a pot on the stove. It was nice to be home. It was nice being with his friends and knowing that no one was mad at him. It was just...nice.


	11. Chapter 11

Jared was extremely unhappy with Jensen. Not that the older man would say as much. No, instead he took to standing a little away from Jensen, staring daggers at him. It was making the girls laugh so hard that trotting in two point seemed to difficult for them to handle.

"Oh God," Hillary giggled, slowing her horse to a stop. "This is just too funny."

"You're paying to take a lesson, not giggle," Jensen shot over at her.

Hillary continued to giggle as she asked her horse to trot again.

"Okay posting trot," Jensen told them.

"I thought I was supposed to be doing these lessons," Jared mumbled.

"Sorry," Jensen mumbled, getting himself comfortable in his chair.

"I want you guys to pick up the canter going in this direction," Jared instructed.

The three girls clucked their tongues loudly at their horses and urged them forward into a canter. Jensen sighed and sat forward in his chair a bit, his stitches giving an uncomfortable twinge as he did. He ignored it in favor of paying attention to the lesson that was happening in front of him.

"Reverse at the canter," Jared yelled out.

Jensen smiled. Jared was a natural at this. He knew from watching him with Rebecca that he was good but seeing him with his three girls he knew he was one of the best. The older man might not have been able to instruct them in all things riding but he sure could teach one hell of a flat lesson.

"You feeling okay?" Jared asked, moving to stand next to Jensen's chair. Jensen looked up at the older man and smiled.

"I'm doing all right," he told him.

"You sure? Cause I could call the lesson early and help you back inside."

"I'm fine Jared, really. I would tell you if there was something wrong."

Jared gave Jensen a tight smile and moved away from him again. "Okay I want to being them down to a sitting trot."

There was a small grown from one of the girls as they slowed their horse to the trot. Jensen couldn't help but laugh at the unhappy noises they were making as they passed by Jared and Jensen.

"What is it with English riders and their hatred of the sitting trot?" Jared mumbled.

"Why sit when we could be posting?" Julie yelled.

"Or cantering," Hillary added.

"Or just plain walking," Kelly added.

"At least you don't have something in the way when you post," Jensen yelled.

That got him a chorus of 'ews' from the girls.

"It's true," Jared said.

"Oh God, please stop," Julie whined.

"But..." "No," Kelly shouted.

"We really don't need to hear about it."

"Fine," Jared sighed.

"Posting trot." The girls sighed and began posting.

"Shoulders back Kelly," Jensen yelled.

"Close your hands around the reins more Julie, you've got piano hands going," Jared said.

"Hillary, please for the love of God, toes up, HEELS down. Not the other was around."

Hillary slowed her horse to a walk and directed him towards Jensen. When she stopped she dropped her feet from the stirrups and spun them in circles.

"Your Achilles hurting?" Jensen asked.

Hillary nodded.

"Did you do your stretches before you got on?"

She shook her head.

Jensen sighed and struggled to get out of the chair. Pain blossomed through his abdomen, making him hiss.

"What do you think you are doing?" Jared asked, rushing towards him.

"Trying to get out of this chair," he bit out.

Jared sighed and helped him up. "You could have just asked for help."

Jensen rolled his eyes and hobbled over to Hillary. Taking her right front in his hand he . extended it back until her heel was up.

"That hurt?"

She nodded.

"Is it burning or shooting pain?"

"Burning."

"You think you could keep going?"

She thought it over for a second before shaking her hand.

"Okay," he said patting her knee. "Hop on down. You need to remember to stretch. You're going to continue to be in pain when you ride it you don't."

"I know," she muttered. "And you're going to continue to be in pain if you don't take it easy."

Jensen laughed softly. "I know," he mumbled.

Jared stepped forward and helped Jensen back to his chair. "Go ahead and untack," he said to Hillary. "You did really well today."

"Thank you," she muttered, leading Rocket towards the barn.

"How long have her Achilles been a problem?" Jared asked. Jensen shrugged.

"Ever since she started riding with me. The doctors all told her it's a matter of just stretching before she rides."

Jared nodded and watched Julie and Kelly. "How are you feeling?"

Jensen sighed. "My side hurts," he admitted. "But I think I'm going to be okay."

"You sure?"

Jensen took a second to evaluate how he was feeling. His side was throbbing, the area around his stitches feeling stretched and painful. Moving his hand to the side he feels that its wet.

"Well shit," he muttered.

"What?" Jared asked, moving to kneel in front of him.

"I think I might have pulled my stitches," he whispered.

Jared frowned. Moving a little closer he lifted Jensen shirt up. "Yeah," he whispered, looking up at him. "There is a bit of bleeding."

"You're acting really calm about this."

"I'm freaking out," he admitted. "But I know if I freak out then the girls will freak out and everything will go to hell."

"It really hurts."

Jared nodded. Standing he turned to look at Kelly and Julie. "Hey guys," he yelled out, "we've got to get going."

Kelly and Julie trotted over.

"What's wrong?" Julie asked.

"Jensen pulled his stitches and is bleeding. I've gotta take him to the doctor to get it fixed. I'll get Chris or Steve to come out and make sure none of you get hurt."

"Okay," they chorused, getting off of their horses. Jared turned back to Jensen.

"I'm going to pick you up now," he warned. Jensen sighed.

"Fine," he mumbled. Jared bent down and pulled Jensen into his arms. Walking quickly but carefully he got Jensen into the truck, laying him flat in the backseat.

"I'll be right back," he said, shutting the door.

Jensen stared up at the ceiling of the truck while he waited. His side was throbbing and when he moved a little he could feel his shirt sticking to the blood.

"Great," he mumbled, thinking about having to throw away the shirt.

The door opened, startling him. Jared stood next to the open door, Chris standing right behind him.

"Hey," Jensen said.

"You're an idiot," Chris informed him.

Jensen laughed, causing a pain to go up his side. "I know."

Chris nodded. "You want me to come with?"

"Nah, you stay here. I shouldn't be there too long."

"Okay."

Jared got into the truck and shut the door. Rolling down the window he leaned out to say something to Chris. After a few minutes he rolled up the window and started pulling out of the barn.

"You doing all right back there?" Jared asked him.

"I'm good."

Jared looked at Jensen through the rear view mirror. "You're not leaving the house until those stitches out, got it?"

Jensen laughed. "Yeah, I got it."

After sitting in the ER for half an hour they were finally able to get in and get Jensen's stitches fixed. Jared sat with him the whole time, holding his hand as he got stitched up. The car ride home was silent as both men were tired and hungry.

"Think there will be food?" Jensen whispered as Jared carried him into the house.

"Probably," Jared mumbled, struggling to open the door.

"You could put me down you know."

"You might pull your stitches again."

"You're so paranoid."

"Yup," Jared said, popping the 'p'.

"Hey," Steve said as they walked into the house. "Everything okay?"

"We're better now. There any food?"

"In the fridge. I'll heat it up for you while you bring him upstairs."

Jared nodded and walked towards the stairs. After walking up the stairs really, really slowly he got Jensen up into his room.

"I hate being carried," Jensen told Jared as he put him down on his bed.

"I like carrying you," Jared admitted, sitting down on the edge of the bed.

"That's weird." Jared leaned down, placing his forehead on Jensen's.

"I like taking care of you."

"Seeing as that's all you've done since we met I guess it makes sense."

"Someone has to take care of you." Jensen sat up a bit and kissed Jared on the lips.

"Thank you."

"It's no problem."

A knock on the door had Jared springing up off the bed. He moved to the door and opened it. There was a quick conversation with Steve before the door was closed and he moved back to the bed with a tray of food.

"It's nothing much," he said, "just some soup and a salad."

"That's fine," Jensen said taking the tray from Jared.

Jared crawled into bed next to Jensen and took his food from him.

"How'd you all learn to cook so well?" He asked, sipping the soup. Jensen shrugged.

"I learned from my mom and dad. I don't know about the other two."

Jared hummed. "Is everything made from scratch around here?"

"Basically. I get a lot of free stuff from parents of girls I teach so my produce is always fresh. It's why we are so healthy."

"I bet."

Jensen laughed, placing his now finished soup bowl to the side. "Or it might be because I spend most of my day lifting heavy things."

"It's better than going to the gym."

They were silent as they finished their dinner. When finished Jared grabbed all of the dishes and moved them over to the dresser. He got out of his clothes and moved over to where Jensen was laying.

"You want help changing?"

Jensen flushed. "I think I can do it. Maybe help me up?"

Jared nodded.

"Okay, let's get you up."

Together they got Jensen out of bed and up on his feet. They stood staring at each other for a few seconds before they both laughed.

"This shouldn't be this awkward," Jared mumbled, scratching the back of his head.

"Yeah," he agreed. Jared moved closer and placed his hand on the hem of Jensen's shirt.

"Lift your arms," he whispered.

Jensen nodded and lifted his arms over his head. Slowly, Jared pulled the shirt over his head and tossed it away. The older man breathed heavily for a moment before moving his hands to Jensen's belt. He worked slowly, undoing the belt then the button and zipper. He slid the pants down his hips and down his legs so that they pooled around his ankles.

"Step back," he whispered. Blushing, Jensen stepped out of his pants. Jared kicked them out of the way and moved closer to Jensen again.

"If you weren't hurt right now," Jared whispered, "I think I would have gone down on you."

Jensen nearly choked. He sputtered for a few seconds, looking away from the older man.

"I, uh..."

"Sorry," he whispered. "Sorry. That's not going slow, huh?"

"No, but...I think I want to..." "Yeah? I mean we don't have to..."

"I want to."

"After your better."

"Yeah," Jensen said nodding.

"After I am better." Jared beamed.

"Okay," he whispered, kissing Jensen on the lips softly. "Let's get to bed."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is so short. I'll try to get a longer one out next week. I just recently got a new job so I have been focused on that more than my writing. Which I hate.


	12. Chapter 12

Ever since his confession Jared won't touch Jensen. They no longer snuggle close to each other in bed and Jensen finds himself with his stuffed horse pressed close to his chest. He can feel Jared warmth, the older man is like a furnace behind him, but every time he scooted back to press his back to Jared front Jared would push him away softly. The rejection hurts, makes him feel as though Jared wasn't telling him the truth.

  
            When Jensen feels Jared flip around to face away he takes his chance. Scooting forward he threw an arm around Jared and pressed his front to Jared back. Jared stiffens, muscles tensing under Jensen's arm.

  
            "What are you doing?" Jared hissed.

  
            "I...I'm sorry," he whispered, removing his arm.

  
            "Jensen?" Jared turned to look at him. "What are you doing?"

  
            "I just...I..." Jensen looked down at the comforter, picking at a loose thread. "I just..."

  
            "What?" Jared asked softly, placing a hand on Jensen cheek.

  
            Jensen couldn't form words; he was too embarrassed to. How was he supposed to tell Jared that he wanted to cuddle? That he wanted to be wrapped up in Jared's arms? He's not a very tactful person but being wrapped up in Jared's arms felt so good, so right.

  
            "Hey," Jared whispered, "talk to me. What's on your mind?"

  
            "I don't like it when you don't touch me," he admitted, his voice just barely audible.

            "You wanna cuddle?"

            Jensen shrugged, moving closer to the edge of the bed. He wanted to disappear, he was so embarrassed.

            "Hey," Jared whispered moving to press his front against Jensen's back. "All you had to do was ask. No need to get all embarrassed and throw yourself off the side of the bed."

            "I just don't want to make you feel uncomfortable."

            Jared laughed. "Touching you doesn't make me uncomfortable," he whispered. "I love touching you. I just need to be careful is all."

            "Why?"

            Jared moved closer, slinging an arm over Jensen. "Because I want to touch you all over," he whispered against Jensen's neck.

            Jensen moaned softly as Jared's hand moved down his chest and settled against his hip bone. The older man rubbed the exposed skin just above Jensen's waist band.

            "Jared..."

            Jared chuckled softly. "What's wrong?" He asked, his hot breath tickling Jensen's neck. "Do you want me to slow down?"

            Jensen shook his head.

            Slowly, Jared slipped his hand under the waist band of Jensen's boxers. With a soft grip he grabbed onto Jensen's aching length and jacked it slowly.

            "Has anyone but you ever done this to you?" Jared asked softly.

            Jensen shook his head. His breath was coming out in harsh puffs. He felt over heated and over whelmed but at the same time everything felt comfortable. He was comfortable.

            Jared continued to move his hand up and down Jensen. "It's amazing," he whispered, "that you went this long without any physical touch from anyone else."

            "Jared," Jensen sighed, rocking his body up into Jared's hand.

            "That's it. Slowly, don't hurt yourself."

            Jensen whimpered, rocking his hips forward slowly.

            "Does that feel good?"

            "Yes," he hissed.

            Jared shifted back a bit and Jensen could feel him jacking himself off behind him. It was all so incredibly hot that he couldn't hold back any longer and came with a cut off cry into the pillow. Jared continued to move his hand up and down Jensen's length, working him through his orgasm.

            "Do you need me to..."

            Jared buried his face into the back of Jensen's neck and let out a loud moan. "Just keep talking," he moaned.

            "A-about what?"

            Jared shifted closer to Jensen, placing his closed fist against Jensen's back and thrusting his hips into it.

            "Tr-try dirty talking."

            Jensen could feel his cheeks heating up. He didn't know how to dirty talk. That was something completely foreign and new to him.

            "When I first met you I thought about you bending me over the couch in my office and having sex with me," he blurted out.

            Jared's breath sped up, musing the short strands at the back of Jensen's neck. "Y-yeah?"

            "Mhm. I couldn't help but wonder how it would feel to have you entering me for the first time. How you would probably ruin me because of how big you'd turn out to be."

            Jared chuckled softly. "What else?"

            "I keep a blanket in the hay loft just in case we ever decided to do it up there. I've built a wall with a few bales so that if Chris or Steve came up the stairs they wouldn't be able to see."

            There was grunt then Jared's hips stilled. The older man rolled away from Jensen and moved to get out of the bed.

            "Where are you going?"

            Jared looked down at Jensen with a pleased and sated smile. "I'm going to the bathroom to grab a wash cloth. We're both going to get pretty sticky if I don't."

            Jensen looked away, his face heating up again. Jared was turning himself into a blushing virgin!

            The older man walked back into the room quickly. Dropping to his knees by the side of the bed he helped Jensen clean himself up.

            "Did you hurt you stitches?" He asked softly.

            "No, they're fine."

            Jared flipped Jensen on his back and looked at them for himself.

            "Looks okay," he conceded.

            "So much for going slow," Jensen joked.

            Jared laughed and climbed over Jensen to get to his side of the bed. "You're just too pretty to not touch."

            Jensen could feel himself blush again.

            "You're so beautiful when you blush," Jared whispered, running a hand over Jensen's heated cheek.

            "Shut up," Jensen mumbled.

            Jared laid down on his back, his arm resting against Jensen's. They were silent for a while, their breathing synchronizing the longer they stayed that way. It was nice and Jensen felt himself starting to drift off to sleep.

            "Hey Jensen?" Jared whispered right before he could fall asleep.

            "Yeah?"

            "Did you really set up the hay loft for possible sexual adventures in the future."

            Jensen let out a long breath. "Yes," he whispered.

            "That is so fucking hot."

            "Shut up and go to sleep," he grumbled.

            Jared reached over and placed his hand over Jensen's heart. "Good night."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry guys. I really, really am. I'll try to have the next update up soon. If not then start sending me comments about how disappointed you are in me.


	13. Chapter 13

            Jensen stretched out with a deep, satisfied groan. For the first time in a while he felt extremely good. No part of his body was hurting and except for an uncomfortable itch on his right side his stitches weren't hurting either.

            With the weather getting better Jensen was starting to chop at the bit to get outside. Jared, with Chris and Steve's help, had been keeping him mostly inside of the house since he ripped his stitches and Jensen was starting to go seriously stir crazy. He wasn't used to staying inside for long periods of time.

            "You're scowling," Jared whispered beside him.

            Jensen looked over at Jared and smiled. "I was just thinking about how much I hate my house arrest."     

            Jared groaned and flopped back against the pillows. "It's not house arrest. You are free to leave the house at any time to sit on the porch if you so chose."

            "Yeah me," Jensen muttered, falling against the pillows.

            Jared snaked a hand around Jensen and pulled him close. "You'll thank me when you're all healed up."

            Jensen grunted.

            "Or you'll hate me. Either way you will be all healed up."

            Jensen turned his head. "Could never hate you," he whispered.

            Jared smiled, cupping Jensen's face with his free hand. "Good. How are you feeling?"

            "Better. Like I could go outside and get some work done."

            "Nice try," Jared said, dropping his hand.

            "You suck."

            "Yes, yes I do. But not right now, I've got work to do."

            Jensen rolled his eyes and pushed Jared away. "If you need me I will be right here, wishing that I was doing something else."

            "It's only for another week or so. Once you get the doctors all clear I'll let you go back to your normal, everyday, life risking, activities."

            "They're not life risking," Jensen grumbled, crossing his arms like a child.

            "You work with one ton animals, everything you do is life risking."

            Jensen reached over and grabbed Jared's hand as he struggled to get his pants on. "Can I go outside today? I really want to see Sasha."

            Jared sighed and sat down next to Jensen. "Just to see Sasha?"

            "Yes."

            "Promise?"

            "Jared, I promise. I just want to go out to see my horse, that's it."

            "Fine," Jared mumbled, pushing to his feet. "I'll come up and get you after morning chores, okay?"

            Jensen nodded his head.

            "Go back to bed," Jared said leaning down to kiss Jensen on the top of the head. "I'll be up in a few hours."

            Jensen settled back against the pillows and watched Jared moved around the room. He had to admit that watching Jared put his clothing back on was much less enjoyable then watching him take them off. A smile tugged at his lips as Jared tried to pull on one of Jensen's shirts instead of his own.

            "That not fit?" He joked as Jared huffed and pulled the shirt off again.

            "I'm having trouble getting dressed with you staring at me like that," Jared said when he found his shirt.

            "'Staring at you' like what?"

            "Like you want to devour me."

            "But I do."

            Jared turned to Jensen with a sly smile. "You're really bad at this whole 'taking it slow' thing."

            Jensen rolled his eyes. "That was so two weeks ago. Now I just want to taste every inch of you."

            "Have you been watching porn in your free time?"

            "No, why?"

            Jared laughed to himself. "No reason." He moved closer to Jensen and cupped his face. "I'd love for you to be able to do that."

            "Just not right now?"

            "Well obviously. Maybe tonight though," he said with a wink.

            "You're a tease."

            Jared beamed, dropping his hand and heading towards the door. "Yup," he said popping the 'p'. "Go back to sleep Jensen."

            "Asshole," Jensen yelled after him in jest.

            Falling back against the pillows Jensen closed his eyes and snuggled back under the blankets. In the quiet of the room he could hear Jared, Chris and Steve talking down stairs in the kitchen. The three of them are laughing, the sound making a great sound track to fall asleep to. Several minutes later the door bangs closed and the house is left is silence once again. Jensen sighed and flipped onto his side, grabbing Jared's pillow and stuffing it under his head. Several minutes later he falls asleep to the smell of Jared's shampoo.

 

            Someone once tried to tell Jensen that horses don't bond like other animals. They tried to convince him that no matter how much time you spend with them they will never attach themselves to you like a dog would. Jensen knows that that is a lie. From the time he started working with horse till now he knows that they are capable of it. Sasha proves his point the second he walks into the barn.

            "She does that every time one of us walk in," Jared said as he walked next to Jensen. "She always snorts and turns her backs on us when she sees its not you."

            Jensen smiled and quickened his pace to get to the stall. The mare turns to look at him and surges towards the bar. Lifting her head she stuck her nose in between the bars and snorted.

            "Hey beautiful," Jensen crooned to the horse, petting her nose.

            Sasha nickered softly, snorting again.

            "Am I allowed in the stall?" Jensen asked, turning to look at Jared.

            Jared rolled his eyes. "Of course."

            "Just making sure."

            Jensen moved towards the door and opened it. The second it slides open Sasha moved closer to rub her head on his chest.

            "Stop," Jensen said, pushing at the horses head. "No rubbing."

            Sasha snorted and back away from Jensen a bit.

            "That's my good girl," Jensen cooed.

            Jared moved closer and wrapped his arms around Jensen's waist. "You're like a little kid," he whispered.

            "Horses make me feel like a little kid," Jensen admitted.

            "Could you ever see yourself doing anything else?"

            Jensen looked at Sasha as she bobbed her head. The mare walked closer to him and stretched out her head, snorting when Jensen's fingers tickled against her nose.

            "No," Jensen whispered.

            Jared nuzzled his head against Jensen shoulder and kissed his neck. "Me neither."

            "Can I brush her?"

            Jared sighed. "I guess," he said stepping back. "But only because you are so cute."

            Jensen turned to Jared and smiled brightly up at him. "You're the greatest."

            "Yeah, yeah. I'll grab her stuff, you get her out."

            Jensen nearly whooped as he rushed around to get Sasha's halter and lead rope. The horse watched him, patient as ever, as he fit the halter over her head.

            "Come on," Jensen cooed as he started leading the mare out of the stall.

            "You're lucky she's such a good horse," Jared said fondly, leaning against the wall. "I know a ton of horses that would have turned and kicked you in the face."

            "Not my Sasha. She's too good of a horse to do that."

            Jared pushed away from the wall and helped Jensen attached the cross ties to Sasha's halter. "How'd you do it?"

            Jensen shrugged, petting the mare's neck. "I built up trust. I always tell my girls that the first step of horseback riding is building trust with your horse. I spent almost a month when I first got her doing nothing but brushing her."

            "I tell Rebecca that all the time. I don't think she quite grasps the need behind it."

            "I didn't either for the longest time. My father wouldn't let me get on a horse until I got to know them. He made me do it every single time he put me on a new horse."

            Jared picked up a brush and passed it to Jensen. "Well, you better get to bonding."

            Jensen smiled and took the curry comb from Jared. "Haven't you heard? Horses don't create bonds."

            "That's bullshit."

            Jensen rested against Sasha for a moment and smiled. "I know," he whispered, giving the mare a pat. "I know."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this is really short but at least we're moving forward. I'm going to skip all the doctor visits so Jensen will be up and moving around in the next chapter =) Also mild sexy time.


	14. Chapter 14

 

            Jared still had Jensen on minimal work load the day they decided to try introducing Sasha and Ringo again. With his heart in his throat Jensen sat on the mounting block and watched as Jared stood with Sasha and Steve with Ringo. The mare would be going into heat soon and Jensen wanted to make sure that his mare was comfortable as possible with the stallion.

            "Walk her a little closer," Jensen yelled out to Jared. "But not too close."

            Jared nodded and moved the mare closer by three steps. From where she was standing now she could reach her neck out and touch the Stallion if she so chose to.

            Ringo's ear swished back and forth and his eyes roamed the indoor looking for a threat. When Jensen noticed that he seemed to calm down the Stallion reached his head out and took a sniff of the mare. Sasha's head lifted up and she looked down at Ringo.

            "Back her up a few steps," Jensen called out.

            Jared took two steps back, Sasha following him with jerky steps. "She doesn't seemed very happy with him."

            Jensen sighed and rested his elbows on his knees. "I was afraid of that."

            "Maybe its cause she's not in heat yet," Steve said. "Your mare isn't exactly friendly on a good day."

            "You're probably right."

            "And it's probably a good sign that she didn't go after him."

            "I say we just let nature take its course. When she goes into heat we put them in a pen together and let them do what they got to do," Steve suggested.

            Jensen nodded slowly them got up off the mounting block. "I think we can try that. We'll put them out together for a few hours and see how it goes."

            Jared walked Sasha over to Jensen and passed him her lead rope.

            "You sure you're okay with that? I know how much she means to you."

            Jensen gave the mare a pat on the neck. "Yeah," he whispered. "I think it is the best bet."

            Jared nodded and leaned down to give Jensen a quick kiss. "Okay. Now let's get you back into the house.

            "Seriously? I've only been out of bed for a half hour."

            "Doesn't matter. I'll let you do whatever you want tomorrow after your stitches come out."

            "No teasing, right? You'll actually let me do whatever I want."

            "Yes."

            Jensen moved closer to Jared and placed a hand in the center of his chest. "Anything?" He whispered, slowly slipping his hand down Jared's body.

            Jared took a deep breath into his nose and flicked his head over to where Steve was standing. The older man was looking at the Stallion he was standing next to, his focus solely on him. When he looked back over at Jensen, Jensen slipped his hand down inside of Jared's jeans.

            "Anything?" He asked again, giving the man's boxer covered crotch a light squeeze.

            "Anything," Jared breathed out on the end of a moan.

            Jensen removed his hand from Jared's pants and smiled. "Good."

            Jared made an unhappy noise as Jensen turned on his heels and lead Sasha towards her stall.

            Jensen is on his knees staring up at Jared with the older man's hard cock in his mouth. He's not sure if what he is doing is actually right but with the deep moans coming from the man above him he's thinking he's doing at least one thing right. Jared's hands on knitted in his hair, eyes closed and face contorted into a blissful look.

            "Your mouth..." Jared sputters out, hands tightening in Jensen's hair. "Fuck..."

            Jensen hummed and bobbed his head, taking the hard length in his mouth just a little bit deeper. He's afraid to go any deeper for the fear of gagging and turning Jared off so he keeps it shallow, hand covering the part he can't take and jacking it slowly.

            "You're amazing," Jared mumbled. "Seriously amazing."

            Slowly, Jensen lets the cock slide out of his mouth and keeps just the tip in his mouth. He sucks on it, tasting the bitterness of the precum that has gathered there.

            "Come on," Jared moaned, "suck it. You know you want to. You know you want to swallow down my cum."

            Jensen looks up at Jared and lets his cock fall out of his mouth.

            "Shit," Jared mumbled, removing his hands from Jensen's hair and running them through his own. "Sorry, sorry. I just got caught up in the moment."

            "It's not that...never mind," Jensen whispered, moving to stand up.

            "Hey," Jared whispered, grabbing Jensen's hand. "What's wrong?"

            "Am I doing any of this right? You're my first and I feel like I am messing up."

            Jared pulled Jensen against him and placed his hand on his still hard and leaking length. "You're doing amazingly. If you hadn't stopped when you did I would have cum."

            "Oh...sorry."

            Jared kissed Jensen on the lips. "It's fine."

            Jensen backed away from Jared and sunk to his knees again. "Let's see if we can get you to cum..."

            The first time Jensen gets back on a horse is possibly one of the greatest days of his life. He only does walk/trot but it still feels amazing. He even catches Jared, Steve and Chris taking pictures of him as he rides around the indoor.

            "Quit it," Jensen mumbled, pushing Jared away when the older man comes over with his cell phone in hand.

            "You look so happy," Jared whispered, pulling Jensen into a soft kiss. "You looked like you were really enjoying yourself."

            "I really was. I missed being up on a horse."

            "I can tell. Your smile is my new background."

            "Mine too," Chris said as he came to stand with them. "In a total bro type way. I'm not trying to steal your man from you Jared."

            "Good," Jared mock growled, pulling Jensen close to him and kissing his soundly.

            "What about you Steve? What's your background?" Chris asked.

            Steve shrugged. "It's been Jensen for a while. It's a picture I took of him and his dad a few years back."

            "Seriously? Can I see it?"

           Steve took his phone out of his pocket and passed it to Jensen. Sliding the unlock icon Jensen is greeted with a picture of him on the back of his old horse, Loretta. His father had his hand on Jensen's knee and was saying something to him.

            "When did you take this?" Jensen asked, looking up at Steve.

            "Right before the fire."

            "Jesus... I look so young."

            "That's cause you were."

            "Why this one?"

            "I took it so that you two could have a father/son photo. Then the barn went down and Loretta was killed and you and your dad lost some of your spark. I kept it because it reminded me of the good times."

            "That is amazing," Jared whispered. He moved up behind Jensen and hooked his chin over his shoulder. "Can you send me that?"

            "Yeah, sure man. You want one too Jensen?"

            Jensen looked up at Steve. "Please," he whispered.

            "I'll untack Sasha for you," Chris said, taking the reins from Jensen.

            "Thanks," Jensen mumbled. He turned in Jared's arms and threw his arms around his neck.

            "You okay?" Jared whispered.

            "Fine. It's just..."

            "Hard?"

            "Yeah."

            "Losing someone is difficult. I can't imagine losing two of the most important people in my life at such a young age. But I'm here now, Jensen. I'm here for you, anytime you need me. Okay?"

            Jensen nodded and buried his face in Jared's shoulder. "Okay."

            Jared kissed Jensen on the top of the head. "I know you're all healed up and everything but..."

            "But you want me to rest?"

            "Yeah...will you?"

            "For you, I'll do anything."

            Jared cupped Jensen face and kissed his lips gently. "Same."

            Jensen back away from Jared and hit him. "Same? I say something all romantic and you say same?"

            "For you, I'll do anything and everything," Jared said.

            "Good."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh hey look I'm alive. Sorry it's been so long. I'm really trying guys. I'll try to my hardest to start posting stuff more regularly.


	15. Chapter 15

Jared took Jensen out to dinner on a Saturday night after his lesson with Rebecca. They go to a quiet little diner just outside of town and eat on the same side of the table. Jensen spends most of the night blushing and murmuring apologizes for bumping Jared as he ate. Jared just laughed and dropped kisses to Jensen's temple.

"You're unbelievably adorable," he told him when the plates were cleared and dessert was on its way. 

"Flatterer," Jensen whispered, ducking his head.

"No seriously," Jared insisted as he nosed at Jensen's temple. "You're so incredibly beautiful, Jensen. I can't believe how lucky I am to have you as mine."

"You are so cheesy," Jensen whined, "please stop."

"You don't like me telling you that you are beautiful? That you are absolutely perfect?"

Jensen turned his head and captured Jared's lips with his. The kiss is slow but passionate, leaving Jensen aching for more. Jared moaned into the kiss and pressed closer to Jensen, fisting his hands in Jensen's shirt. Jensen's hands moved up so that he can grip Jared's jaw and angle his head in a different direction. 

"Excuse me," someone said from behind Jared. The two men jump apart and look at the waiter who is standing at the table with their dessert in hand. "Here is your dessert."

Jared cleared his throat and removed his hands from Jensen's shirt. "Thank you," he mumbled moving a little further down the bench.

"Enjoy," he said putting the plates down and scurrying away from the table.

"That was embarrassing," Jensen whispered.

Jared laughed and picked up his fork. He dug his fork into the chocolate cake and took a bite. "Mmm tastes almost as good as you."

"Oh shut up," Jensen mumbled pulling his plate closer to him. 

Jared leaned over and kissed Jensen on the cheek. "You're so beautiful when you blush, seriously."

They ate the rest of their dessert in silence then paid the check and headed outside into the cool night air. Jared wrapped his arm around Jensen's shoulder and pulled the younger man closer to him.

"You enjoy yourself tonight?" Jared asked.

"I always enjoy myself when I spend time with you."

Jared turned his head and kissed Jensen on the temple. "Same."

"Same?"

"Is there something wrong with me saying 'same'?"

"It's just not very...romantic."

Jared laughed. "This again?"

Jensen pushed Jared away from him and stalked a few feet in head of him. "Yes 'this again'. Is it so bad that I want to be romantic every now and again?"

Jared rushed forward and grabbed Jensen by the hips, pulling him against his chest. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "There is nothing wrong with wanting to be romantic. I can be romantic."

"I must sound like such a wimp," Jensen mumbled.

"No," Jared whispered, pulling Jensen impossibly closer. "No you sound completely reasonable. I have to remember that this is your first relationship and that you're going to want do things differently. And we can. We can do this your way. Okay?"

"My way?" Jensen asked, pulling back a bit to look at Jared.

"Yes your way. We're going to be romantic and we're going to be the perfect little couple that is going to make everyone sick just to look at."

"Promise?"

"Yeah, I promise."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is so short. It is kind of my way of getting back into writing this story. More to come soon I promise.


	16. Chapter 16

            As spring nears so does Jensen’s time table for breeding Sasha. With how late in the winter it was when he got Ringo he’s already behind. The mare and stallion seemed to have been getting along though so Jensen called up the vet to come and look at both horses to make sure that they were healthy.

            “Clean bill of health for both,” the vet, Mark told him. “Little late in the breeding year, ain’t it?”

            “Had a few setbacks as of late unfortunately that put me a little behind schedule,” Jensen told him as he wrote up the check. “But Sasha hasn’t gone into heat yet so I guess we’re good.”

            “She should be gearing up for one soon. I’d suggest turning them out together in a week or so if that’s the way you were going to go about it.”

            “I’ve got an indoor pen all set up in the back that I’ve got hooked up with cameras to monitor them. Not taking any chances.”

            “Smart man,” Mark said. “Got any other horses you need me to check out?”

            “I don’t but Jared might. Just give me a minute to ask him.”

            Mark nodded and busied himself cleaning his bag up a bit as Jensen ran to find Jared. He found the older man in his office bent over some paper work with a deep frown on his face.

            “Any of your horses need looking at?” Jensen asked.

            Jared looked up at him. “Nah I’m good.”

            “You sure?”

            “Yeah they’re all good. Though I do need to set up an appointment with him for renewed Coggin’s.”

            “Here up then, don’t want to waste the man’s time.”

            Jared smiled and got up from the chair. As he passed by Jensen he threw his arm around him. “Ever tell you how much I love your accent?”

            “I ain’t got an accent,” Jensen mumbled, stepping away from Jared.

            “Yes you do. You’ve got this really cute country drawl.”

            “Whatever,” he mumbled, pushing the older man away.

            Jared laughed and ran out of the office. When he came back in only moments later he barreled into Jensen and pulled the younger man against his chest. Jensen let out a soft ‘oof’ and had to grab handfuls of Jared’s shirt so that he didn’t fall down.

            “What are you doing?” Jensen asked into the tall man’s shirt.

            Jared looked down and cupped Jensen cheek. “You’re so pretty,” he whispered, leaning down to kiss Jensen on the lips.

            “Are you drunk?”

            “Love drunk.”

            “You’re an idiot,” Jensen sighed, trying to push Jared away from him.

            “No,” Jared protested, tightening his arms around Jensen. “Please just stay here with me.”

            “I have things I need to do.”

            “Please,” Jared pleaded. He took a step back and looked down at Jensen. “Please.”

            “What is with you?”

            Jared rushed forward and kissed Jensen again. Turning them, he put his arms around Jensen and backed up until his knees hit the end of the couch. Jensen was forced to straddle Jared when the older man fell back onto the couch.

            “Jared,” Jensen moaned, hands fisted in the older man’s shirt.

            Moving fast, Jared laid Jensen on his back on the couch, covering the younger man with his lean body. He broke their kiss and moved to mouth at Jensen’s neck.

            “So beautiful,” he moaned into Jensen’s skin.

            “Jared,” Jensen repeated, hands moving to fist in his hair.

            Jared moved further down, unbuttoning Jensen’s flannel shirt as he went. He sucked hickeys into his collar bone, his chest, and his stomach. He let his hands roam around on the skin that was now available to him.

            “Hey Jensen…Oh shit!” Chris shouted, rushing to back out of the office.

            Jensen and Jared flew apart, Jared landing rather hard on the floor.

            “Shit,” Jensen cursed as he buttoned his shirt back up. “Fuck.”

            “I am so sorry,” Chris yelled into the office.

            “My fault,” Jared called out as he stood up. “Forgot to close the door.”

            “Is everyone decent?” Chris asked.

            Jared looked down at the bulge in his jeans and rushed to sit down so that he could pull a pillow over it. When he looked over and saw Jensen in the same state he threw a pillow down onto him too.

            “We are now,” he told him.

            Chris peaked his head around the corner and smiled sheepishly at the two men. “I’m so sorry,” he repeated as he took a step into the room. “I didn’t know you two were in here together and I…”

            “It’s fine,” Jensen said. “What was it that you needed?”

            “I was just coming in to tell you that the hay shipment was here. Guy was saying something about you owing him money.”

            Jensen frowned and jumped to his feet to rush over to the desk. He plopped down at the seat and pulled up his records of payment. “Shit,” he mumbled. “I totally forgot he was coming today.”

            “Is everything okay?” Jared asked.

            “Yeah, yeah, everything is okay. I just forgot we had set up for him to come so I didn’t put him in the budget for the week.”

            “How much are we down?”

            “Not that much; just couple dollars. It just means that if one of the lesson ponies throws a shoe any time in the future we might be in trouble.”

            “I can pay for the hay,” Jared told him.

            “What? No!” Jensen protested.

            “I’ve got three horses in this barn so I should be helping out a bit. I don’t pay rent and you usually pay for the groceries so it’s the least I can do.  
            “Jared…”

            Jared jumped to his feet and walked over to the desk. Leaning over Jensen he grabbed his checkbook from the drawer. “How much does it cost?”

            “Two hundred dollars.”

            Nodding, Jared picked up a pen and filled out the check. “There,” he said, ripping the check out of the book. “Now hay is paid for.”

            “Seriously, Jared, I can’t…”

            Jared leaned down again and kissed Jensen. “You can and you will. I want to do this for you Jensen; for the barn. You’ve done nothing but make my life easier since I moved here and I want to repay you.”

            “Fine,” he mumbled, snatching the check from Jared. “But now I owe you.”

            “Oh I can think of a way you can pay me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this is short but I am trying my best to get back into writing. I'm thinking that the "no smut" tag might need to be changed a bit because I feel major smut coming on in the next chapter. Said chapter should be out soon because I am making myself get on track with all my WIPs.

**Author's Note:**

> Any suggestions? Comments? Concerns?


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